When it comes to holiday celebrations and traditions I've found many an inspiration in Martha Zimmerman's Celebrating the Christian Year. Now, I have found one never knows what attempts will actually "stick" and become truly meaningful. Sometimes what is glorious for one family may be agonizingly impossible for another. (I should know, I've tried.) But, if you take Martha's book with the proverbial grain of salt, you may just be able to find a few ideas and twist them to fit your family wonderfully.
One that we particularly like is what we call "Rice and Beans Night." Each Sunday of advent we replace the evening meal that we normally would have with one made of rice and beans. Just boil some brown rice in broth and serve with red beans and a glass of milk. This is to serve as reminder to us of all of those in this world that would be grateful for such a simple meal. You'd think the kids would grumble but I'm always surprised by their enthusiasm.The money saved by making this our meal is represented by a dollar bill placed above the plate of each person. This gets tucked into our "Blessings Jar" along with any other donated funds from chores or savings. We choose some person or group that we know could use the gift and send it to them after Christmas. It's simple and not a huge amount of money, but a very real way to show the children how they can show love in Christ's name.
After mealtime we sing a Christmas hymn together (this week is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel), clean up, toss on the jammies, light the advent candle, and cuddle under a blanket for the advent reading. Last year I came across a book called Jotham's Journey and it is just excellent. I highly recommend it as a fun way to work through Advent and the real meaning of Christmas.
Reflecting upon all of my attempts to make meaningful experiences and memories for the family, the main thing I've learned is: Keep it simple, keep it fun, and bag it if it's not! It will be interesting to see what traditions continue through the years, what fades, and the birth of the new. Regardless, it's all starts with just being together.
How cool! So glad you shared about the beans and rice and the book!
ReplyDeletevery neat, I love all your ideas, as usual!
ReplyDeleteWe are an Advent Family too, lighting candles and singing and absolutely love the Jotham series...two more in the set! We read Rebecca Hayford Bauer's The 25 Days of Christmas as well. Now, to get my sewing machine going! You inspire me as usual...thank you. Beans and rice...mmmm gini
ReplyDeleteAdvent is my favorite time of year, with its beautiful and simple stories, its journey of darkness into light, its ability to make us access the holy in all. We love to participate in an advent garden, as well as build on our nativity scene each sunday after lighting the candle (we begin by setting up our handmade manger with rocks and pine needles to represent the earth, the second week we add in the animals, the third we bring forth the angel and wisemen...on Christmas eve we place Mary and Joseph and on Christmas morning, long before presents, the kids wake to place Jesus in his manger.
ReplyDeleteHi! To answer your question, I use a 50mm 1.4 lens. I love it!
ReplyDeleteI love advent, too.
This post is a great resource with some unique ideas (love the rice and beans tradition!). I've linked to it on my sidebar.
ReplyDeleteWow. Such a great idea.
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