I would like to first, shamefully admit that I did a horrible job of celebrating the first Sunday in Advent. I didn't make it to mass because my husband was working, and I cannot take my two children....or rather, I will not take my two children by myself. I spent most of the weekend, including today, doing Christmas shopping...totally against the "rules" of Advent when we are supposed to be anxiously awaiting the birth of Jesus Christ. My husband and I fought...and I mean FOUGHT...all day long (about money again...go figure), and my day was really centered around the fact that my kids were going to see Santa this evening at the Hollwood Firehouse. So really, who's a horrible Catholic Christian? Me!
Not teaching this year, I will really miss my annual morning work of "Grab a green piece of paper, trace your hand, cut it out, and put your name on the back of it!" These "hands" would become my bulletin board Advent wreath, followed by 4 beautifully made construction paper candles, complete with a construction paper flame for each one. Such a simple assignment and yet someone always ended up cutting theirs to shreds or putting their name on the wrong side (haha). I will miss all the holiday activities leading up until the Friday of Christmas break....the Christmas, St. Nick, and Advent DVDs for religion class, the chorus concert and 8th grade play, the class parties....ugh, so sad! I will REALLY miss the lighting of the Advent wreath at school every Monday morning, followed by placing the ornaments on the Jesse tree. The Jesse tree tells the story of Jesus's ancestors and reveals much about God and prominent stories/symbols from the Old Testament.
So, as I was saying....Advent....4 weeks leading up until December 25th, when we celebrate the birth of Christ the King. Advent is a time of preparation as we wait anxiously in anticipation. In recent years, my religion book for my students often dedicated the first two weeks of Advent to thinking about Jesus's coming again as the Messiah and then the last two weeks as preparation for his birth. I have to be honest and admit that I never quite understood it, but I went with it. Our church offers a "Little Blue Book" during Advent, and I always loved starting off each religion class with that book. It always had a fun little fact for the day and a great Bible passage (along with interpretation/explanation) to go along with it. I'll have to pick one up for my own reading enjoyment this year.
People have varying ideas about what each candle represents on the Advent wreath. They differ only slightly, but the first 2 candles that are lit, are purple. They represent Hope and Peace. The next candle is pink (3rd week), and this candle represents Joy as we are nearing the birth of Jesus. Lastly, the 4th candle is also purple and represents Love. I have even seen a white candle in the center of the Advent wreath, to be lit on Christmas for Christ's birth. It is white because Jesus is pure and clean and the light of the world. The advent wreath itself is made from evergreens and formed in a circle, signifying Christ's never ending love (circle)...a love that never dies (evergreens).
On a slightly different tangent, I saw something in Target today that really made me stop and think. Here it is....
Let's play, "Name What's Wrong With This Picture". The box says Advent Calendars, but the calendars it contains say, Dear Santa, Only a Few Days Left! This amused me at first and shocked me a little, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought HOW WRONG! First of all, I LOVE the people who celebrate Christmas but don't believe in Jesus. Seriously, look right there: CHRISTmas. Personally, I really feel like this picture represents something similar to me lighting an Advent wreath and saying, Happy Hannukah or Happy Kwanzaa! It's just wrong, and it doesn't make any sense. Santa has NOTHING to do with Advent. And please don't go thinking I'm all hoity toity about everything because no one is more guilty than I am of going completely overboard with Santa...but seriously Target...let's try a little harder, okay? I'm sure I could make a big stink about it if I wanted to be all politically correct and what not, and maybe I should call it to their attention, but I'm voicing it on here for now.
So, after a little shopping on Black Friday, Stephen and I took the kids to see Santa light the tree in Leonardtown. I love this night, and the kids had a blast. Gracen danced the night away and anxiously waved to Santa on the firetruck and yelled loudly as he lit the tree. She did the same tonight at the Hollywood Firehouse, only this time she had the opportunity to sit on Santa's lap. Um..........what a disaster! Shaking and crying, I took her up there. She buried her head and wouldn't say a word. Samuel Parker, laid back as he is, just looked around in amazement. Santa could be his homeboy any day. I'll post pictures when I get some from the family....great night but exhausting!
Lastly, I would like to say how terribly I missed my dad tonight. He loved watching the kids see Santa. In fact, he used to dress as Santa for the family and loved every last minute of it. Christmas is going to be really rough this year...and every year. Every year, Hospice has a tree lighting ceremony and you can purchase Christmas ornaments for $25 with a loved one's name written on them. My aunts purchased a few. All I have to say is this: If you see someone's name on a Christmas ornament without a "Baby's First Christmas" next to it, it's probably not a good sign. Seeing the picture of this ornament really hit me hard, and I'm not sure why. The reality set in a long time ago.
Pictures from Christmas in the Square....
3 comments:
Your dad as Santa is one of my favorite Christmas memories growing up--thanks for the smile or reminding me of that. You should make an advent calendar of Gracen and Parker's hands--they would love having that later on.
and by calendar i mean wreath--haha sorry.
Lauren...that made my day hearing that! He loved it!
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