Keeping Advent Special: Three Tips To Celebrate The Birth Of Christ

Christmas used to be, as I imagine it was for many of us, a magical childhood season. The rituals of putting up the decorations, laying out the creche – down to household rituals of “hearing” Rudolph’s jingling bells outside our door, and rushing away from the milk and cookies for Santa to come – were nothing short of miraculous.

There was a wonderful theatricality in childhood Christmas that as an adult on the other side of the secret, too easily vanishes.

So this year, I’ve decided to try out a few things to help me get into the spirit of Advent, in preparation for the season of Christmas. And I encourage you to discover the means whereby you, too, can prepare yourself for the Incarnation.

Increase the Theatricality

Something I appreciate about Lent are the sheer number of theatrical things we do to remind ourselves that we’re in a season. A time that is different from all other seasons. We deprive ourselves personally and we deprive ourselves as a church: no singing or saying “Hallelujah,” covering statues, removing holy water. A thousand little things to trip us up and remind us that today is different from yesterday.

Since there are no ashes to put on my brow, I’ve instead decided to not put out any decorations until today: the first Sunday of Advent. Today, I put up the star on our wall. (We won’t have a tree in our cramped NYC apartment. Ah, the joys of a metropolis!) I put up electric candles in my front window. And I put out my single purple candle. I want to build this season. I want to mark each Sunday slowly, so that I have the same sense of wonder and things building towards the Birth of Christ.

Next week I’ll put out another purple candle, and I hope to string a few more lights. And so on and so forth so that – the plan is – by Christmas morning I’ll awake to a house that’s been slowly transformed. Much like the way Christ stealthily snuck into His own creation.

I’m looking to surprise myself with Christmas. To keep some things in reserve.

Begin the Celebration on Christmas, Rather than Ending It

The way we tend to celebrate Christmas in the modern west, Christmas itself is often the end of the event rather than the beginning of it. We wrapped all the presents, we got the kids to where they were supposed to be, we crossed the finish line.

However, this year, much like with Easter, I want Christmas to be the beginning of the celebration. To keep the thousand little deprivations in Advent: no Christmas carols in our house ’til Christmas. No red and green ’til Christmas. A thousand little things to trip me up and remind me that He isn’t here yet, but He’s coming.

And then, following, a thousand little things that remind me that now we are rejoicing.

A house full of smells and light and holly and cheer, beginning the day of Christmas and held on to for twelve days after. If possible, and I recognize this is a luxury I am giving to myself as a woman with no small children, I’m hoping to open a present a day for the whole twelve days of Christmas: even if I’m wrapping up batteries and dollar store chocolate instead of bringing in an entire aviary. (I don’t want an aviary. No one send me six geese a-laying. I am interested in pipers piping, however.)

Take On a Religious Task

Much like with Lent, we can give things up during Advent (like no Christmas music) – but also like Lent, now is a time to take something on. Whether it’s an act of labor – like the Giving Tree or a soup kitchen – know that these sacrifices are much appreciated by those of us who grew up incredibly poor, depending on generosity to help us survive, let alone celebrate.

But also I’m hoping to take this season to add just one spiritual practice. Or to renew an old one that’s fallen by the wayside. And much like Lent, anyone can do anything for a few weeks. I’m going to try to get back into morning prayer: a routine I’ve always been slippery with. Perhaps it’s night time prayer for you. Or being careful about taking the Name of the Lord in vain. Or just being nice to that one relative you can’t stand on social media. Whatever spiritual bouquet you’d like to give Him this season.