Celebrating Advent
The stores are already stocking Christmas decorations! As December rolls around and the shops are getting crazy, our family makes time to take stock and remember what all the fuss is about.
The stores are already stocking Christmas decorations! As December rolls around and the shops are getting crazy, our family makes time to take stock and remember what all the fuss is about. December 1* in our house is a BIG celebration that involves trimming the tree (and as much of the house as possible!) But the most important part of the night is reading our Bible (the Big Picture Story Bible is the most age-appropriate for our kids) covering the promise of the ‘Forever King’ and the birth of Jesus.
Our advent calendar is home-made with a family activity for each day. The activities are put at random into the different pockets of the calendar, giving each morning a sense of anticipation about what activity is coming up next. For a no-frills version, you can write activities on the back of 25 cards or pieces of paper and choose one at random each day.
We choose a wide range of activities, such as a Christmas lights tour around the streets, having fish'n'chips at the beach with family and friends, and reading Christmas stories around the tree at night. We love the combination of special family time, sharing the real meaning of Christmas with our kids and enjoying the festive atmosphere of our community. Here are 12 ideas to get you started:
- Read the Nativity Story.
- Enjoy fish’n’chips at the beach.
- Sing along to Christmas Carols.
- Read stories by the lights of the Christmas tree.
- Go on a tour of fairy lights in the neighbourhood.
- Go out with another family for a picnic.
- Take a school teacher out for afternoon tea.
- Paint fingernails red and green.
- Colour in a Christmas picture.
- Have a picnic dinner in the backyard.
- Buy something from the K-mart Wishing Tree (providing Christmas gifts for under-privileged children in Australia).
- Choose something from the TEAR Really Useful Gift Catalogue (Christmas gifts for people in third world countries).
(*For purists, you might like to know that Advent officially begins on Sunday, November 28. But if you want to keep things simple, December 1 will do!)
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