I was about to start this post by writing that I have a whole host of nostalgic feelings towards the season of Advent, but then I paused to actually look up the word nostalgic. Merriam-Webster defines nostalgia as “the longing for or thinking fondly of a past time or condition.” 

While it’s certainly true that I think fondly of the Advents of my childhood, the word doesn’t do my feelings for Advent justice because implied in nostalgia is an orientation towards only the past. And the reality is that any fondness I once had for Advent persists. I continue to look forward to the season each year and embrace whole-heartedly the practices and traditions of the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

Part of the reason why I do have nostalgia for the Advents of my childhood is that my parents did a really good job of celebrating the season in all its fullness. We lit the Advent wreath faithfully each dinner time, accompanied by a small reading from either an Advent devotional or the daily lectionary. We went to vespers services every Sunday night. We listened to O Come O Come Emmanuel and People Look East on repeat. We baked cookies, hung garlands, and crafted homemade gifts, all in preparation for the great feast of Christmas.

Likewise, part of the reason I continue to relish the season as an adult is that I make every effort to celebrate Advent in all its fullness on both a personal level and within the domestic church of my family. Through attention to detail and intentional practice, my parents immersed me and my siblings in the sensory delights of the season, and I’m trying to do the same for my kids. Not only does this make for cozy memories, but it also connects all of us with God on a level beyond words in the present moment. When we smell delicious scents and listen to beautiful music and see the warm light of a lit candle, the peace, joy, hope and love that are characteristic of the season come alive in a unique way. 

Each year, I try a new Advent practice or two, and our family has our go-to traditions that we return to year after year as well. I hope that these activities inspire in my children the same love for the season that my parents’ choices did for me.

If you are looking to create or add to your family’s repertoire of meaningful Advent activities, here are some ideas.

Pray Together in an Advent-Specific Way

Praying as a family is holy and beautiful whatever form it takes: prayers before meals, praying the rosary, bedtime prayers, praying as you hear an ambulance drive by, or offering blessings as kids head out the door to school. No need to pause your family’s current prayer practices, but during the season of Advent you might consider integrating prayers that are specific to the season.

House of Joppa’s Advent Liturgical Calendar makes this easy. Featuring important feast days, the O Antiphons, artwork, Scripture and prayers, this calendar can guide your family’s prayer time in a simple yet profound way. 

Make (or find) an Advent Playlist

I’m a big fan of making a playlist for everything, not only because I find that light background music can improve the mood of just about any moment but also because I’ve noticed that music cultivates memories as well. For instance, I made different lullaby-centric playlists for each of my postpartum seasons, and now, anytime I hear the piano music or soft vocals that I had chosen for these particular months of my life, I’m brought back to those sacred moments.

Considering that memories can layer and build until they become durable and deeply ingrained, I keep my Advent playlist steady from year to year (though I add new songs as I discover them). If making your own seems like too heavy a lift during this busy season, Spotify, youtube, itunes, and other listening platforms have many great options to choose from.

Mary on the Mantel 

An alternative to "Elf on the Shelf,” Mary on the Mantel is a great way to help kids prepare in a fun and interactive way for the birth of Jesus. This set includes  a Mary on the Mantle book, which explains to kids how Mary is prepping to give birth to Jesus and how she needs your child’s help, as well as the Mary doll with extra pieces, a guide of the caregiver (with tips and ideas of where to place Mary around the home), and a deck of Acts of Kindness cards. In other words, the set makes a fun and faith-filled daily activity for families very easy. I just know that this is the kind of Advent tradition that my kids would talk about and anticipate all year long, once we've done it the first time.

Serve together

More than anything, the Advent season is about preparing our hearts for the arrival of Jesus, and what better way to prepare for the coming of Christ than to care for the Christ in others? One way you might do this as a family would be to choose a service activity together, such as grocery shopping for a local food pantry, volunteering at a soup kitchen, writing and coloring cards for prisoners, singing carols at a nursing home, or cleaning up litter at a neighborhood park, and having a short time of family prayer after the work. You could read the parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25), which reminds us that each time we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, and look after the sick, we care for Jesus. And then, you could ask each family member to share where they saw God’s light present in their experience. 

As you embrace old or create new Advent traditions this year, may the peace, hope, joy and love of the season fill you. Happy Advent, friends!