Why honor Advent?!

Today is the first day of Advent.  This is the first year that Junia "remembers" Advent  from last year.  Today we bought some candy for our calendar, some candles for our wreath and we are getting ready to make meaning of this season.

Perhaps it is because we are talking about learning outcomes and assessment so much at work that this is around for me, but I thought it might be helpful to share "why" we are doing things for Advent:

• Doing special things like having candles, have a time every day to get a piece of candy give us a special time to talk about religion, faith, God, and our spirituality.
• Creating "special" times gives us the opportunity to create "special" memories that are not about our individual special-ness but about the sacred and special seasons and parts of God.
• Doing things with our kids for Advent reminds Sean and I to do things for Advent. To pray, reflect, and be present to the places we desire God in our own lives.
• It allows us to participate in a ritual that has taken place for hundreds of years in the Christian tradition, and even more, doing it at home, in our own way is also part of the tradition.
• I like holding off on celebrating Christmas! I like to wait a bit, to get ready for Christmas and then to let Christmas last for several days. It is a reminder that Christmas did not happen all at once. The story of God's activity in creation is not 1 moment. Is not in just one season but is about the past, is about  the present and about the future.  All the characters didn't show up at the same time, it was not all starshine and silvery presents, it was not all happy go lucky. It was long, complicated and unknown.  Entering into some of the waiting, anticipating, wondering, and in general complicated realities of preparing for the Kindom is real.

So those are our reasons.  What are yours reasons for honoring Advent?