Advent

[AngelBee]

What are your plans for this Advent season? :)

[dogretro]

Nothing yet.

[AngelBee]

I am trying to get it all figured out. :)

[whoami]

This is our first year celebrating so we're learning and winging it as we go. We plan on celebrating advent as the four weeks leading up to Solstice, the return of the sun and Christmas. I found a salt crystal votive holder at ross so we'll place that out on Sunday , light the first candle and say the verse "The first light of Advent Is the light of stones. Stones that live in seashells, crystals and bones."

We're not religious but I we're also going to set up a nativity and build it slowly. Our son knows our baby is coming around Christmas time, and so I think it might be a little magical for him. I'm not sure we'll give a gift each week (traditionally is that done?), but for the fourth week, the kingdom of mankind we're giving him a knitted gnome babies to represent the babies he says he has in his belly.

We'll light paper bag luminaries to light the night on Christmas Eve around our yard. Then have an elaborate spiral candle lighting ceremony inside by slowly and symbolically lighting 27 candles, remembering each kingdom of nature we have celebrated and honored over the weeks. and think about the sun's ever brightening life force returning to the earth.

Don't have much else planned.

[GranolaMum]

We'll be celebrating with Mary's star path as described in All Year Round.  I had the pleasure of going to an Advent talk last week given by the authors of the book.  They started with a blue cloth on the table going up the wall.  A stable, 4 candles, a gold sun and gold moon on the blue background to represent the sky.  Add Mary and the number of stars you need for the number of days of advent (varies from 23-28).  They used large stars for every Sunday and smaller stars for the other days. 

A candle is lit every Sunday. Every day Mary moves along her path closer to the stable.  Each day one new star goes up on the wall near the sun and moon to represent a starry night.  As she gets closer, there are less and less stars on the path.  Each night while the children are asleep you add something to the table.  The first week is minerals (shells, crystals, etc), second week is plants (flowers, dried moss, etc), 3rd week add animals, 4th week adding people (shepherds, Joseph, etc). until the stars are all up in the sky and baby Jesus arrives in the stable on Christmas morning. 

They suggested not using any of the children's animals or play things for the table, as then they will want to play with it.  Think I'm going to put mine on my mantle to keep my 2 year old from taking it all apart! 

I'm really looking forward to setting it all up and watching it evolve.  My DD is 4 and in kindergarten so will be doing similar things at school.  She'll be walking the advent spiral on Monday at a festival after school.

Hope I have it all together in time!  Still need to buy a few bits for it.  Love reading everyone's ideas!

[LuxPerpetua]

We have a lot planned but we are Christian and deeply religious.

We're setting up our tree on Sunday but we're doing it as a Jesse Tree.  I bought a pre-made Jesse Tree kit from christianbook.com but some year I want to make our own ornaments.  A Jesse Tree is basically an Advent tree that goes through images in the Old Testament leading up to Christ.  I bought a felt Advent wreath to top our tree, but these would be very easy to make if one had an hour of free time.  You start putting the Jesse Tree ornaments on the tree from the bottom up.  At the top you put the last one, which is baby Jesus, but next to that I have a nice cardstock ornament version of the Damiano crucifix that I'm going to hang so as to encourage the connection between the Nativity of Christ and His crucifixion.  Around our Jesse Tree I have a beautiful cross that has at its center the Holy Family and also a tryptych of the nativity.  It's all about Jesus at our house!  We also have a seasonal felt tree that we will be decorating for Christmas with cotton snow and a paper nativity scene and angels.  And lastly we have a felt winter playmat of the Land of Sweets that I made last year that we'll also be pulling out (not Adventish but I thought I might as well throw it in there too).  We will add our Christmas ornaments to our Jesse Tree on Christmas Eve.

We also have a large olive wood nativity set that we're going to set up in pieces.   I have a dark navy "sky" backdrop that I'm going to hang and a green grass and snowscape satin that I'm going to use for the ground.  For every day from Dec. 1-24, dd will add a gold start to the sky and then finally a larger golden star for the Star of Bethlehem when Jesus is born. I'm going to set up the creche for week one along with letting dd set up a stone "pathway" to Bethlehem (using the Waldorf emphasis upon the mineral kingdom), the next week we will set out holly/pine needles in the stable for the plant connection, the following week we'll put out the wooden animals, and the last week we'll let Mary and Joseph travel the "stone road" to the creche and on Dec. 24 before we go to bed, we'll put Jesus in the manger.  Then, on Epiphany the Wise Men arrive.

We always do our devotionals just before bed and with candlelight.  I have purple and pink ribbon to wrap around our Jesse Tree, too, at the start of each week to go along with our Advent candle wreath. We  have this small Advent devotional that we do in additon to our Jesse Tree devotions. 

I have also purchased Seasons of Joy's Advent e-book but I haven't had time to read it yet.  I know it's probably filled with ideas, though, like the rest of her materials.  I'm also fervently watching the Parenting Passageway because I just know Carrie will be talking about Advent soon.

We have tons of Nativity books for reading and will be making lots of baked goods and gifts.  We always make homemade egg nog and a gingerbread house the week of Christmas.

Lots of love for the Advent season around here if you can't tell, LOL!

ETA:  Here are some really good St. Nicholas' Day crafts: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=122 

Edited by LuxPerpetua - 11/24/10 at 5:56pm

[WednesdayO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoami on Sunday , light the first candle and say the verse "The first light of Advent Is the light of stones. Stones that live in seashells, crystals and bones."...

Can someone share more verses for Advent or where to find them? We are not Christian, but I was raised in a Christian family. DD enjoys the spirit of the holiday as much as I do, and we always use verses for special occasions. Thanks!

[whoami]

Here's some verses from the unitartian universalist church.

[WednesdayO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoami 

Here's some verses from the unitartian universalist church.

Great! Thanks for sharing that link. Anyone else??? Anything your Waldorf schools/nurseries/Kindergartens use?

[Mom2Camryn397]

We are not Christian but we have a Christian background and we celebrate the significance and symbolism of the birth of Jesus (kindness, hope, peace, joy, love, etc...) along with solstice, celebrating the earth, etc... Suffice it to say we are eclectic in our celebrations. Here are my plans beginning today and I'll apologize in advance as these are my personal notes and may not be 100% clear to anyone other than me much of this is is inspired from seasons of joy among other resources.

Four weeks: mineral, plant, animal, human

Mineral week: break a geode, wet felting or tissue covered stones, read festival of stones tiptoes chapters, tell smallest star story, fill wood bowl with shells for counting and playing, decorate house

Plant week: narcissus bulb forcing and painting a pot and making a glitter tree as well as ornaments, read festival of plants tiptoes chapters, go to botanical gardens, fill wood bowl with acorns and pinecones

Animal week: baking dog treats, also do beeswax candles and bird feeder, read festival of animals tiptoes chapters, trip to zoo, brush and groom dog

Human week: make wool angels, gingerbread houses, read festival of light tiptoes chapters, deliver goodies to neighbors, make cards for grandparents and other family also solstice celebrations, baking, etc...

Unveil new advent nature table items each week... Stones/shells, pinecones/acorns, animals, family people then baby and santa gnome on Christmas

Advent wreath with candles, light one with each sunday dinner culminating with lighting the center candle on christmas day

Blue background with stars, moon and sun added each day -- use plain blue watercolor paintings for background, and yellow for moon and stars. Mount blue watercolor background to cardboard for stability 

Red and green count down chain with afore mentioned symbols taped to each link to put on background. Tear off link, take symbol, put on blue background. 

[Mom2Camryn397]

He are a few verses. I have more that are winter and santa related but these relate directly to advent and Waldorf...

Advent is a time to wait
Not yet time to celebrate
Light the candles one by one
Til this advent time is done
Christmas day will soon be here
Time for joy and time for cheer


Advent, Advent, a candle burns. 
I light the night, my candle burns.
First one, then two, then three, then four. 
My heart is shining like a star.


Mineral verse
Beneath night's dark blanket
a white candle is lit.
A warm Advent gift,
the flame of human spirit.

With this first light of Advent,
we give thanks to the stones.
To the shells and the sand,
to the crystals and bones.

Bless the strength
and support they provide,
holding us steady
on our foundation outside.

Bless their beauty
and inner light.
Illuminating our lives
in the darkest of nights.

Plant verse
Beneath night's dark blanket
a white candle is lit.
A warm Advent gift,
the flame of human spirit.

With this 2nd light of advent
We give thanks to the plants.
To the flowers and trees,
to the vegetables and grass.

Bless the shelter
and life force they provide,
their nourishment and oxygen
Enfolds our lives.

Bless their beauty
Gracing the land,
The strength of their roots
Above which we stand.

Animal verse
Beneath night's dark blanket
a white candle is lit.
A warm Advent gift,
the flame of human spirit.

With this 3rd light of Advent
We give thanks to the animals
To beasts large and small
Who reflect back our souls

Bless the friendship
and wonderment they provide,
Their gifts of self
nourish our lives.

Bless the deep knowledge
and the lessons they offer,
about caring and loving
And sharing Earth with each other.

Human verse
With this 4th light of advent
We honor the fold.
We give thanks to humans,
the young and the old

Bless the earth's people
a wish for peace among all
hand in hand, united,
together standing tall

Bless our family
and friends far and near
where there is so much love
and connection so dear

[AngelBee]

This all sounds really wonderful!

I am making my list (at least a rough draft) for each day's ticket.  Brainstorming...

[WednesdayO]

Thanks for posting the verses, Mom2Camryn397! That's exactly the type of thing I was looking for!

[whoami]

Originally Posted by Mom2Camryn397 

He are a few verses. I have more that are winter and santa related but these relate directly to advent and Waldorf...

Advent is a time to wait
Not yet time to celebrate
Light the candles one by one
Til this advent time is done
Christmas day will soon be here
Time for joy and time for cheer


Advent, Advent, a candle burns. 
I light the night, my candle burns.
First one, then two, then three, then four. 
My heart is shining like a star.


Mineral verse
Beneath night's dark blanket
a white candle is lit.
A warm Advent gift,
the flame of human spirit.

With this first light of Advent,
we give thanks to the stones.
To the shells and the sand,
to the crystals and bones.

Bless the strength
and support they provide,
holding us steady
on our foundation outside.

Bless their beauty
and inner light.
Illuminating our lives
in the darkest of nights.

Plant verse
Beneath night's dark blanket
a white candle is lit.
A warm Advent gift,
the flame of human spirit.

With this 2nd light of advent
We give thanks to the plants.
To the flowers and trees,
to the vegetables and grass.

Bless the shelter
and life force they provide,
their nourishment and oxygen
Enfolds our lives.

Bless their beauty
Gracing the land,
The strength of their roots
Above which we stand.

Animal verse
Beneath night's dark blanket
a white candle is lit.
A warm Advent gift,
the flame of human spirit.

With this 3rd light of Advent
We give thanks to the animals
To beasts large and small
Who reflect back our souls

Bless the friendship
and wonderment they provide,
Their gifts of self
nourish our lives.

Bless the deep knowledge
and the lessons they offer,
about caring and loving
And sharing Earth with each other.

Human verse
With this 4th light of advent
We honor the fold.
We give thanks to humans,
the young and the old

Bless the earth's people
a wish for peace among all
hand in hand, united,
together standing tall

Bless our family
and friends far and near
where there is so much love
and connection so dear

I love this! Did you get it from a school?
 

[Mom2Camryn397]

Originally Posted by whoami 

I love this! Did you get it from a school?
 

The first is from a library book, 1001 verses and finger plays, or something like that. The others were gathered from blogs. I wish I could say they were original because they are really beautiful. Now I just need to memorize them.

[honeybunmom]

This is our first year practicing Advent.  We went to Mass last Sunday, but didn't start the cout down until yesterday.  I took someone's simple bag idea out there in the blogosphere and put numbers on 25 small brown bags and hung them from floral wire.  I drew the numbers on card stock and cut them out and glued them on. There are 2 chocolate coins in each bag; one for each child.

In this first week, we're focusing on the meaning of the season.  Day 1, I gave the children a book I bought in our local Waldorf school.  I think it's called The Gift of the Child.  I'm also mixing this a little with a story I told her last year . . . that she has an elf that watches her on behalf of Santa.  So, Nigel is his name and he fills the bags each night and leaves her a note.  First note:  Look inside your little nook and you will find a Christmas book.  Dh made the kids a little house out of a card board box.  We hid it in there. 

Today, I put a needle felted angel in the bag with this note:  This angel comes from up above, to remind you of God's awesome love.  So, in times when you feel fear, you will know that God is near.

Last night dd asked to make an angel.  We started, but had to stop when it was time for bed.  This morning I told her Nigel must have finished it and he had used my supplies and left a mess on the craft table!  Because Nigel's helper was up a little before 6 praying that my daughter would not wake up before I finished!

Not sure yet what tomorrow will bring.  Other things we will be doing include fun holiday stuff like seeing the Nutcracker (tickets to be found in an Advent calendar bag), kiddie train ride in my office lobby, zoo lights and ice skating.  We will also find ingredients in our Advent bags to make food items to share with out neighbors.

And, of course, we'll be reading Advent stories each night before bed.

[lyrebird]

Advent for us is a simple affair.

For the Advent candles I'm using the short verse... The first light of advent is the light of stones, etc. We try to do it each night after dinner then do the Advent calendar. We put fresh bottlebrushes with the candles every few days (these are red flowers).

To my eldest we then read Mary's Little Donkey. He loved it last year. t

I was kind of hoping my eldest would lose his first tooth this week - which would be handy for the mineral week! (Quite wobbly, but I think it'll hold on for a bit. I had planned on going to a good lookout to marvel at the cliffs and do echoes (we live in the mountains). It has been a bit wet though. Very wet.

Other than that we are doing a few other things like celebrating St Nicholas day by gathering some food to give to a charity, and some other basic preparations - baking Christmas biscuits, we'll make window decorations, etc. More activities the closer we get to Christmas.