Advent in Our Home

"At Christmastime we celebrate the new life of the earth’s own sun – the Light of the World, 

that which, through the good will of men and women, forever shines in the darkness, and will not be overcome.”

 ~ from All Year Round ~

 

We began our Advent celebration yesterday. I spent weeks thinking about Advent, how we would celebrate and how I would create our Advent calendar and in the end none of what I was planning fit with who we are. The calendar we decided to create just didn't feel right. So we stopped. We regrouped. We talked about what we wanted it to mean to us. And what followed was our desire to keep things simple. To fill this time with the things that are important to us. And to share with others the light and love of the season.

We created a lovely little Advent wreath which will grace our table for the remainder of the season. Using a poem I found in Winter Festivals Made Easy from Waldorf Connections, each night we will light the candles for the corresponding week on the wreath and recite a section of this poem:

The first light of Advent is the light of stones
The light that shines in crystals in seashells and in bones
 

The second light of Advent is the light of plants
Green plants that reach up to the light and in the breezes dance
 

The third light of Advent is the light of beasts
That shines in all creatures in greatest and in least
 

The fourth light of Advent is the human light
The light of hope and of thought, to know and do what’s right

~ Rudolf Steiner

We will also count down the days of Advent with one of our little gnomes. Each morning our little Advent gnome will be waiting on the table with a little scroll. In the scroll is a fun activity for the day. Yesterday it was a little visit with Reece's favourite cousin. Today, picking up our tree. Tomorrow making Christmas garland. And so on. There are days to craft, bake, spend time in nature, visit family and friends, shop for those in need and even a day to help pack Christmas hampers. 

As I sit here and share with you how we will celebrate the season of Advent, it feels right. It is simple, yet so full...full of light and love, exactly what this season is about.