"Correct" way to observe Advent

[AskSeekKnock]

Putting this here as I’d like to know the “proper” way: are there guidelines regarding when a Christmas tree ‘should’ be put up? Other rules or traditions re: decor, celebrations, etc? How can the ecclesia domestica (and I’m sure I spelled that wrong) observe Advent, then Christmas, ideally in ways that involve children’s participation? In the secular world, Christmas festivities typically start today and run until Christmas Day and then are over but in Church timing, there’s this preparation phase and then Christmas runs for 12 days. So is, for example, a Christmas party on Dec. 10th somehow 'improper"?

Is there any significance to St. Nick Day? Where did it come from?

 

[06convert]

To answer your question technically. The Catholic Church teaches that Christmas which is a time period on the liturgical calander that begins on the 25th of December with the birth of Christ and ends on January 6 at the Epiphany.

The 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas mark the Advent season on the liturgical calander. Beginning on the 1st of the 4 Sundays and ending on December 24th. This is a time of preperation for the coming of the Lord.

As for the other part of your questions regarding trees and parties. It really depends on how much those things involve celebrating the events leading up to the Birth of Christ and Christ’s actual birth. Typically trees don’t reflect much about Christ and parties may or may not.

However, if trees and parties do involve Jesus, just remember Advent is time of preperation excitement for the coming of the Lord. Then on the 25th you actually celebrate the birth of Jesus. There aren’t any guidelines other than than really. There is not really a bad time to celebrate the coming of the Lord and the birth of Jesus. But Advent and Christmas are the times for this in the Church.

As far as Saint Nicholas. There are some ties to him in secular culture. Wikipedia has a decent write up about him. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day#Saint_Nicholas_Day

 

[Gertabelle]

As far as I know, there is no official teaching on when to decorate, etc., for Christmas. The main recommendation would be to have your exterior life (i.e., home decor, music, etc.) match the season of the Church year. The secular world does not follow the Church calendar, obviously, but within our own homes, we are encouraged to create a sacred place where family members can draw more closely to Christ.

If you wish to follow the Church calendar in your home (and thanks be to God for His grace if you do! :clapping you could have Advent decor beginning Saturday evening and continuing until December 24 (or 23rd, if you have too much “stuff” to put up in one day). In my home, Advent decor means an Advent wreath on the kitchen table, and one piece of green garland (with lights) hung in the living room. The garland we use to help count down the days until Christmas (an essential piece with a six-year-old in the house ).

As for practices to do with children, check out this recent thread for some excellent ideas from others on the CAF forums:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=392076

If you look through the Family Life Forum (go back a couple weeks or so) you may find other threads with other ideas. And there are often discussions there this time of year about when to put up Christmas trees and the like. Because there is no official Church teaching on this matter, you’ll find a full range of ideas and practices.

Wish I could help you more. And God bless you in your seeking to serve Him more deeply

Gertie

 

[jujubee]

This is a great website that I just found through Patrick Madrid’s website.

holyheroes.com/default.asp

Go to the area called Advent Adventure. You can sign up for a free daily email. They actually started today. You will have a sweet group of children explain a different part of Advent each day. You’ll see a short video, get several links of things to do with kids, and other easy things. From what I can tell, not only is it presented in a way that is great for teaching kids, but also contains enough depth for adults as far as really teaching the faith.

You can definitely learn about Advent Wreaths but also the Jesse Tree. It is also nice to have a nativity set in your house during Advent. If you want, you can save putting baby Jesus out until Christmas and then have the Wise Men “move” from a different part of the house each of the twelve days until Epiphany. If you have children you can have a very tiny Epiphany gift for them in the nativity set on the day of Epiphany. That’s just stuff we do at our house. It’s nothing official. Just family traditions.

 

[jujubee]

St. Nicholas’ Day (Dec 6) is basically just his feast day. He was a bishop in the 4th century I believe. Do a little google search on him. This is where the tradition of Santa Claus came from. He was a real person.

 

[diggerdomer]

To answer your question technically. The Catholic Church teaches that Christmas which is a time period on the liturgical calander that begins on the 25th of December with the birth of Christ and ends on January 6 at the Epiphany.

The 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas mark the Advent season on the liturgical calander. Beginning on the 1st of the 4 Sundays and ending on December 24th. This is a time of preperation for the coming of the Lord.

As for the other part of your questions regarding trees and parties. It really depends on how much those things involve celebrating the events leading up to the Birth of Christ and Christ’s actual birth. Typically trees don’t reflect much about Christ and parties may or may not.

However, if trees and parties do involve Jesus, just remember Advent is time of preperation excitement for the coming of the Lord. Then on the 25th you actually celebrate the birth of Jesus. There aren’t any guidelines other than than really. There is not really a bad time to celebrate the coming of the Lord and the birth of Jesus. But Advent and Christmas are the times for this in the Church.

As far as Saint Nicholas. There are some ties to him in secular culture. Wikipedia has a decent write up about him. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day#Saint_Nicholas_Day

The Christmas season actually ends on the Baptism of the Lord. Ordinary Time follows.

The question about celebrating a Christmas party on e.g. Dec 10 is pastorally challenging. On one hand, it’s clearly out of line, liturgically, as we are in the season of Advent (a different liturgical season). On the other hand, pastorally (and I’m thinking especially of Catholic schools) there are understandable reasons for wanting a given group to have a “Christmas” celebration in Advent. This is a pastoral issue that needs to be resolved, ultimately, locally.

 

[Della]

The thing that bothers me is that no one celebrates Advent apart from church liturgies and services (there are liturgical Protestants, such as Lutherans and Episcopalians). Other than those, most people seem to have never heard of it. I went to a craft store to see if they had the basic advent wreath (a wire ring with 4 candle holders) to help me make my own and the gal in the store hadn’t clue what I was talking about. Oiy!

I wish I had a button that read: “Please wish me a Blessed Advent” to wear out shopping until Christmas. I like to wear Christmas pins during the Christmas Season. I’ve actually had people say to me: “Christmas is over, you know.” Sheesh!

 

[crazzeto]

There’s nothing wrong with Tree’s, stockings or electric lights (unless they’re bubble lights, they’ll burn your house down!). There is a problem with beleiving that Tree’s, lights, ribbons, socks, and Santa Clause are the point of Christmas. Christmas is about the Comming(s) of Christ, is first redemptive coming and his second coming in glory to judge the living and the dead. Keep this in the forefront of your mind, make it front and center always and you’ll be OK…

There are ways to do this, my fiance and I have decided to go ahead and start a Sunday advent tradition, lighting the candals, praying appropraite advent prayers (looked some up online, since this is a first for me sadly enough, even included a blessing of the wreath that lay people can do). As far as tree’s, I bought one with my fiance and it’s set up (for the time being, I found out I’m still allergic hard core) with all manner of ornament but most expecially religious ones. We have at least 2 nativities on there, and other such ornaments.

My fiance went nuts decorating my place up for christmas, and I do have stockings set up for us all. But in the end, Christ is the entire purpose of all our efforts, we’re trying to prepare for both his comings as we should be.