As Advent approaches, bringing with it the anticipation and mystery of Christmastide, the world around us suddenly begins to focus on traditions and family, as if it wasn't violently attempting to destroy those very things during the rest of the year. There is something about this time of year that even the most cold of Scrooges cannot resist, a warmth and sense of peace that isn't found in any other season. As Catholics, we know the reason for this peace; the birth of our Savior is approaching and the whole world can feel the anticipation, whether they understand it or not. One of the elements which makes the arrival of Christmas so special, though, is the preparation we make for it, or Adventide, as it is traditionally called. For centuries Catholic families have passed down traditions through the generations to make the season of Advent more special and to bring the minds of all to the real reason for the joy and celebration of Christmas.
Today many of these traditions have been lost or forgotten, unfortunately. Advent isn't even really considered anymore as everyone jumps right into the Christmas celebrations as soon as Thanksgiving dinner has ended. As a result, most families (and most individuals) have no idea how truly magical Christmas can be when it is celebrated properly. Everything is better when you have had to work and wait for it; instant gratification can never compare to the joy one feels when he has achieved something that required effort and patience to bring about. The four weeks of Advent are filled with opportunities to practice acts of virtue and pray along with the whole Church (past, present, and future) for the coming of Our Lord on Christmas Eve.
A lovely Advent tradition my family practiced when we were growing up was assigning an "secret angel" to each member of the family on the first Sunday of Advent. Each of us would draw names (which were to be kept secret until Christmas) and then we were to perform secret acts of service for whoever's name we'd picked. You had to be pretty creative at coming up with ways to be your name's angel without them finding out, and it was always a surprise on Christmas Eve when we revealed who's name we'd drawn four weeks before. Not only was it an enormous amount of fun, it taught each of us how rewarding it is to help others with no expectation of praise or anything else in return.
Another tradition I've always loved is the praying of the St. Andrew's novena. I personally only discovered this tradition a few years ago, but now it is one of my favorite ways to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. It is unclear when this tradition first originated, but it is believed to have first become popular in Ireland a few hundred years ago. Unlike most novenas (which consist of saying a specific prayer or prayers for nine days), this one consists of one short prayer, said fifteen times a day, from the feast of St. Andrew to Christmas Eve (about twenty five days). Traditionally it was believed that whatever you asked for in this novena would be granted to you, provided it was God's Will and not detrimental to your salvation. The prayer itself is a very simple one, the words are short and easy enough for a child to learn:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
Pausing throughout your day to recite this prayer works wonders on one's soul; it draws our minds to the mystery and wonder of the Birth of Our Blessed Lord, and reminds us to be joyful during our sojourn in this vale of tears. It reminds us to be fearless in our prayers and requests when we unite them to the merits of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother. It shows us how just taking a few seconds to lift our hearts to God can gain us merit in Heaven.
There are many, many beautiful traditions to choose from for Adventide, and all of them teach important lessons. A few more of my personal favorites are the Jessie Tree, the Christ Child's Crib, and the St. Lucy Buns, but I find each family is different in their preferences of which to celebrate each year.
In centuries past, each culture had their own traditions which were unique to their home country and would be passed down through the generations to unite all the different families in one celebration. Our generation has been mostly robbed of this heritage, but we can reclaim it for our own children and bring the beauty of family traditions back into our homes and communities.
(For more Advent traditions to celebrate, click here)
