This post first appeared as the weekly reflection for St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Wilton, Connecticut for the second week of Advent 2016.

Advent to me has always meant preparation. As a child, my brother and I each had an Advent calendar that we would tape to the outside of our bedroom doors, opening a door each morning to discover a little phrase or image on the glittered cardstock. They were typically scenes of Bethlehem or a cityscape full of windows with mysteries behind them. We also had a family advent wreath, made from greens we had gathered from the pine trees in the woods behind our house. My mom would decorate the mantle with candles, greens, and family objects handed down through the generations. And we would set up the crèche, placing the kings and camels far from the little stable, with the shepherds and the sheep usually placed on a high shelf nearby, while Mary and Joseph waited over an empty manger. The Christmas tree was put up on Christmas Eve; my dad put on the lights, and I was lifted high to place the angel atop. Stockings were hung, cookies and milk put out, and we were put to bed to awaken to magic in the wee hours of the morning. Continue reading Advent Traditions →