Advent for Families :: 3 Simple Ideas for Starting the Tradition in Your Home
This post: Advent for families can be meaningful, intentional, and simple. Here’s how…
I discovered Advent as an adult, and immediately knew it was something I wanted to observe with our five kids.
Caveat: For several years, my biggest hurdle was dealing with holiday stress & overwhelm – I didn’t want to add something else to my already long list of holiday expectations.
Over the years, I’ve found a few simple traditions that make Advent meaningful & sustainable for our busy family.
Need ideas on how to celebrate Advent with your family that aren’t expensive or stressful? I’ve got you covered.
- When Advent Begins This Year
- What Do the Advent Candles Mean?
- Why Advent is Important
- Advent Wreath & Candles
- Advent Devotional for Kids
- Advent Devotional for Moms
- Inexpensive Countdown Calendar
- Kristy’s Advent for Families Resources
Advent for Families :: A Few Things
When Advent Begins: In 2023, the Advent season begins on Sunday, December 3, and ends on Christmas Day.
1) The Advent Wreath & Candles
This is a great place to start with an Advent tradition: simply lighting the candles every Sunday during Advent season.
What You’ll Need:
- an Advent Wreath or candlesticks
- Advent candles
- I also have a pillar candle, that sits inside our Advent Wreath as the “Christ candle”
There are lots of beautiful Advent sets to choose from, but this “Birth of the King” Advent wreath is what my family has enjoyed over the years. It’s beautiful & decorative, and I enjoy putting it out every December!
Note: The Advent candles last. I’ve only had to purchase two sets, and we’ve been observing this tradition for about eight years.
What Do the Advent Candles Mean? Traditionally, there are four Advent candles, each one lit on a Sunday in December: 1) Hope (the Prophecy Candle); 2) Peace (the Bethlehem Candle); 3) Joy (the Shepherd’s Candle); and 4) Love (the Angel’s Candle). A fifth candle, the Christ Candle, can also be lit on Christmas Day.
2) Advent Devotionals
Another important part of Advent for families is finding a good devotion book. I’ve bought a few over the years, and only stuck with two: one for my kids, and one for me to enjoy personally.
Advent Devotional for Kids
Our family has really enjoyed reading through Christ-Centered Advent, by Hal & Melanie Young. Each reading is based upon a Christmas Carol, and is short & sweet.
Confession: I don’t read an Advent devotional with my kids every day during December. I have to keep things simple, so we read our Advent devotions only on Sunday – after we light the candles.
Advent Devotional for Moms
Last year, I purchased Emmanuel: An Invitation to Prepare Him Room at Christmas and Always, by Ruth Chou Simons.
I can’t recommend this devotional enough! The daily readings are concise & inspiring. And if you’re familiar with Ruth’s artwork, then I don’t have to tell you how beautiful this book is!
Why Advent is important: The season of Advent invites believers to observe the first coming of Jesus Christ (His birth), while looking forward to His Second Coming with hopeful anticipation.
3) The Inexpensive Advent Calendar
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the traditional Advent calendar!
Since I’m the queen of minimalism, I keep things super simple: we only use a countdown calendar. So no bells & whistles, or Advent activities to do every day. Just a simple “x days until Christmas day” kind of thing.
I bought a super cheap Advent calendar years ago (very similar to this). Counting down every day is something my kids always look forward to doing every December morning!
It’s crazy simple, inexpensive, and such a fun part of our yearly holiday traditions.
Advent for Families Boutique
Here’s a peek at our family’s favorite Advent resources:
Thanks for shopping my LTK shop & supporing this site!
Your turn.
Do you observe Advent? If not, what would make it easier for you to do so?
