December

December is the month of Advent and it’s full of traditions that enrich our faith such as: an Advent Wreath, Advent Calendars, St. Andrew and St. Nicholas Feast Days and so much more!  We celebrate our liturgies with the color purple, a royal symbol, demonstrating our anticipation of the coming King of Glory.  Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which translates as “arrival.” We prepare for the arrival of a God who is with us, who arrives in the flesh, the Incarnation of Christ Jesus.

As we prepare for Jesus who brought Light into darkness, we make a wreath with 4 candles for each Sunday of Advent. As we progressively light the candles each week, we sing the ancient hymn: “O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here; Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel. Shall come to you, O Israel!”  You can simplify this to just saying/singing “Come Lord Jesus.”   

Also, there are many resources online for how to incorporate an Advent wreath and/or calendar into your family; here is one that includes both: 

Advent always starts on the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Andrew who was the first apostle Jesus called:  1st Apostle = 1st Sunday of Advent!  On this day we set up an Advent wreath on our table with an empty crib in the center where we place baby Jesus on Christmas Eve (after 4 Sundays of sharing how we prepared a bed for Jesus through our good deeds, sacrifices, prayers, etc).  

We can also celebrate St. Andrews Feast Day by putting out our nativity set and praying the St. Andrew prayer:
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
Some people put up a Christmas tree on this day, others wait.  Regardless, when you do decorate make it prayerful by putting a special topper  (crown, star, or angel).  Create your own prayer/saying such as: Crown: “Little Baby sweet and small, born to be the King for all.”
Star: “The Light of Christ overcomes the darkness.” Angel: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward humankind.”

Another important day during Advent is the Feast of St. Nicolas on December 6th. This is a day to teach your child about the person of faith behind Santa Claus.  Nicholas was a priest and Bishop who was incredibly generous throughout his life; he gave gifts to everyone, often in secret. This habit of bringing presents and joy to people's lives gave birth to the idea of Santa Claus, which means Saint Nick.
Have your children leave their empty shoes outside their bedrooms on the evening of Dec. 5 so St. Nicholas can visit overnight and fill them with candy, treats or small gifts like Christmas pajamas or an ornament.  

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on December 12th. We pray: “Mary, out of love and a desire to draw mankind nearer to Jesus, you appeared to an Indigenous man and spoke to him in his native tongue.  Help us to also bring the message of Jesus to all mankind, respecting their unique backgrounds and cultures.”
Invite friends over for tamales, a traditional food from the Mesoamerica where the Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego. 

On Christmas Eve after all the festivities (hopefully after the children have gone to bed) we place baby Jesus in the empty crib in the center of the Advent wreath so that on Christmas morning, the children find Baby Jesus and gifts from Santa!  
On Christmas Day we pray:
Thank you for the great mystery of our faith, the Incarnation.  Infant Jesus, we welcome you into our home this day and every day throughout the year.”   Amen