The First Advent - why and how we celebrate

Throughout my childhood I don't remember celebrating the first advent, or paying much attention to it at all. It's certainly wasn't a memorable day in anyway, and neither at home nor in our community do I remember it being a big deal. And I'm not quite sure why this day slipped me by each year. Was it that we weren't a church-going family?

But I also don't remember noticing the shops celebrating First Advent with prominent candle displays, pre-Christmas sales, or street fairs taking place; and in our modern world it's usually commercializm that reminds us first that a special date is coming up.

As a wife and mother now living in Sweden, the first Advent is an important date in the family calendar. Celebrated by attending church, visiting the local village fairs and the lighting of the first advent candle at home. It's a tradition I've grown to appreciate and it's a time to enjoy the first hint of excitement in the children now they understand that Christmas is just around the corner. The true spirit of Advent is celebrated with expectation, anticipation, and preparation of the weeks ahead leading up to Christmas.

The word "Advent" means coming or arrival. The first advent celebrates the anticipation of the arrival of Jesus Christ. It is also the busiest time of year for the church. And the services are beautiful and memorable. I've come to discover that you should never be afraid of taking the children to church at such a young age for fear of them not sitting still for an hour. We do not attend regularly, but when we do the children are completely mesmerized by the stories, the colors, the choir and the music. We always come away wondering why we don't take them more often.

The first advent is celebrated on the Sunday nearest to November 30th. Each Sunday leading up to Christmas, families light an advent candle in their home. The children usually bring home their advent candles they have made and decorated at school for this event. It's seems to be a slightly solemn occassion, but it's also a time to gather friends and family and enjoy some good food and good company and plan the Christmas season.

This year we celebrated with children. My son's birthday was very recently, so we invited his friends for games, competitions, chocolate pancakes and birthday cake . The noise and excitement of 15 children in our house made our First Advent of the season as much fun as we could have possibly hoped for.

It's also the weekend when the children beg me to open up the Christmas box. All the Christmas decorations are taken out, dusted down, played with, and admired. Then we head off into the shops to buy a few new ones as we do each year. So roll on Second Advent, it's time to trim the tree....