Creating Tradition

One of the goals Sean and I have for this year is to start thinking about traditions we want to have. Children love tradition and we want Junia to have a rich sense of seasons and sacredness. We haven't exactly figured out our Thanksgiving traditions but we are on our way to an Advent Tradition. . .

Advent is my favorite season. I love the integration of the season with religion -solstice and Christmas; I love the earthiness of Jesus' birth; I love the preparation, the waiting, the anticipation. When I was a kid we used to light the advent wreath at the dinner table and say an extra prayer at the beginning of the meal. Bette and Alan showed me how Advent can also be a season with extra ritual and meaning when they added song, prayer, and story telling to some of their advent evenings.

Last year Sean and I made an advent calendar of sorts. With cups and paper we punched open a cup each day and read notes that we had written to each other. It was fun to have something to open each day, and fund to have notes to read. So this year I have created something I hope to bring into our family "tradition." This advent calendar has a jar to open for each day. I hope we'll put notes, trinkets perhaps little bit of candy (when Junia is older) in each jar.