Try not to let the commercial hustle and bustle of the holiday season take over your family Advent ceremony times.  Set a standard time and stick to it.

The below collection of Advent activity ideas is certainly not complete.  Use them as idea-starters in addition to choosing any that you like.  If you already have other activities your family enjoys, please contact us so we can pass along new ideas next year.

Some activities may take more than one day. If your family is doing one activity a day, you may wish to repeat a few that the family likes especially well.

v Make an Advent calendar.
    Visit a Web site with an online Advent calendar (neat images).

v Make an Advent wreath. Discuss its significance.
    Visit a Web site describing the Advent wreath. 
    Visit a Web site on how to make and use an Advent wreath.

v Make an Advent log. Use it in family Advent ceremonies.

v Make a Jesse tree (Isaiah 11:1 is the basis for this tradition). A Jesse tree is a small "tree" made from branches. These branches are decorated with ornaments symbolizing Advent and Christmas.  

There was an old custom in Europe and early America of hanging symbolic ornaments on a Christmas tree during Advent - ornaments which represented the Messianic prophecies - often with the prophecies included within the ornaments. For example, a Lion of Judah ornament might represent one of the Davidic prophecies. On the tree at left you may recognize a few of the shapes.

The Jesse tree was gradually assembled during the days of Advent. It was called the Jesse Tree, named after the father of King David

This ancient tradition was revived in the mid-20th century as an Advent practice.

Here are some of the possible symbols you could hang on a Jesse Tree:

• Altar to represent Abraham's sacrifice. (Genesis 22)

• Stairway or ladder to represent Jacob. (Genesis 28:10-22)

• Stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17)

• Star of David. (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

• Symbols of joy - Balloon, streamers, or other symbols to represent the joy of Elizabeth and Zechariah. (Luke 1:5-25)

• Angel. These heavenly messengers are heavily associated with Jesus, including advising Mary of her conception, coming to Joseph in a dream to ease his concerns, and announcing birth of our Savior to lowly shepherds.

• Mary - Picture or drawing. (Luke 1:26-38)

• Baby Jesus in a manger. (Luke 2:1-20)

• Key People in Jesus' genealogy: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesse, David, Solomon, Joseph and Mary.

• Globe - Symbolizes creation and reaffirms that everything God made is good.

• Ark & Rainbow - Symbolize God's faithfulness and care for humanity even in the face of great human disobedience and his promise to sustain the creation forever.

• Joseph's Coat of Many Colors - Symbolizes God's care of the chosen people, the Hebrews, and the sustaining of the Messianic covenant.

• Ten Commandments - Shows us God's will and our need for Jesus Christ as our Savior.

• Horn of Oil - Symbolizes Samuel and the oil he used to anoint David as King.

• Crown - Symbolizes King David, son of Jesse and an ancestor of Jesus.

• Temple - Symbolizes King Solomon, David's son, remembered for his great wisdom and for the beautiful temple he built for God in Jerusalem. Jesus studied, worshipped, taught, and turned over money changers' tables at the Temple.

• Angels - The messengers of God, who usually bring good news.

• Lily - Symbolizes the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.

• Shell and Water - Symbolizes John the Baptist, He was the last of the great prophets of Israel. He came to prepare the way for the Savior, Jesus Christ. (Mark 1:1-8)

• Star - Symbolizes Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus.

• Chi Rho [looks like an "X" + a "P"] - The Greek letters that together form a symbol for Jesus and were the first two Greek letters of the Greek word "Christos".

One idea on making and decorating a Jesse Tree.

v Make a Christmas Story tree. Make your Christmas tree a special one by limiting it (as much as possible) to ornaments that have to do with the Christmas story. Supplement these with plain or "natural" type ornaments, if needed to fill out the decorations.  Natural ones are ones that emphasize plants or animals or are designs using natural materials.

v Buy or make a religious Christmas tree ornament.  Sing an Advent hymn as you hang it.  Kids could make some "stained glass" decorations.

v Experience a new worship tradition during the holidays. You may want to attend a Christmas cantata, a children's Christmas pageant, a choir concert, a "Living Christmas Tree" presentation, an outdoor Living Nativity scene, or a Bell-ringing service.

v Listen to some online Christmas songs -- some new, some old favorites with a "twist". Another Christmas music site.

v Make an Advent Rose, the inspiration for the carol "Lo how a rose ere blooming".

Click on the picture at right to go to a Web site with the cross-stitch pattern for the Advent Rose.

v Plant a Narcissus bulb in a pot inside your home at the start of Advent -- it grows and blooms in about four weeks.

v Purchase a family Bible, if you don't have one, and use it for the Advent readings.  

v Consider using a Narrated Bible for Advent readings.  A Narrated Bible puts all the different gospel accounts into one flowing narrative.

v Make an Advent or Christmas mobile. Display it when it's done.

v Make Advent, Christmas, and/or Epiphany banners and hang them around your home.  The materials need not be fancy -- felt and a dowel hanger should work just fine.  Here are a few ideas:

v Devise and play a Christmas story "trivia" game (-- not really so trivial).

v Tell a distant loved one them about Advent traditions in your family and how much you love them.

v Talk about the meaning of symbols and colors in Advent,  Christmas, and Epiphany.  Some are: Advent wreath, Advent rose, purple color, Chi Rho cross, golden bells, Poinsettia plants, and a shepherd's staff. 

v Make some Christmons and hang them on the family Christmas tree or on a separate small tree.

v Get together a family band using any type of musical and percussion instruments, even if homemade. Play some carols.

v Set up and talk about the tradition of a creche.

v Make this year's creche (manger scene) a "progressive" creche.  Put Joseph and Mary far from the manger to start with -- across the room, for example. As the days go on, they get closer to the manger. Next the baby Jesus is placed in the creche. After Jesus is born, the Wise men and shepherds start toward the manger from a far distance, and get closer each day until, finally, the entire manger scene is complete on Epiphany.

v Email someone an electronic Christmas card.

v Go caroling in your neighborhood.

v Have a family carol sing-along.  You may wish to use a Web site that has Christmas songs, such as Laura's MIDI Heaven.  See words as well as hear the music at CyberHymnal.

v Play some Christmas Bells online.

v Make some Christmas tree ornaments. The more they have to do with the real meaning of Christmas, the better.

v Make some Christmas punch (wassail). Or search online for (and make) a new Christmas punch recipe -- it can become your new tradition.

v Plan for and make a gift for someone outside your family.

v Visit a shut-in or someone hospitalized. Give them some small gift.

v Make a food garland for wildlife and hang it on some branches of a tree in your yard.

v Talk about Christmas traditions in other countries.  
     Visit a Web site with information about Christmas in other countries.

v Play a Bible search game using Matthew and Luke. Give family members a list of verses (words only - no numbers) having to do with the Christmas story.

v Learn an Advent or Christmas carol or hymn with which your family is not yet familiar.  (You may want to check the Advent readings & songs page).

v As a family, compose a poem about some aspect of Advent or Christmas.

v Put together a seasonal Jigsaw puzzle  

v Talk about the warm memories of past Advents.

v Play a word search game.  See how fast the family members can find the words in an Advent/Christmas word search. If you don't want to create your own, you can find some advent word search puzzles online.  Another word search site.

v Do something nice for someone you or your family doesn't particularly like.

v Make a Christmas tree piñata and fill it with edible "goodies".  Hang the  piñata outside and have the whole family take turns whacking at it with a broomstick until all the goodies fall out.

v Take a family vote on the family's favorite Christmas carol then sing it.  Or take turns on different nights singing each person's favorite carol.

v Make and put up an Advent/Christmas window decoration.

v Talk about what a "gift" really is. (you can use the Magi, the little drummer boy, Jesus, or other gift-givers as examples, for instance).

v Become a Christmas Angel for another family. Make some things to secretly give them.

v Make, bake, and eat some Bible Fruit Bread or "Scripture Cake".

v Make some Christmas cookies.  Eat some and give some to others.  You may want to check out some recipes on the Web.  Christmas Cookie Countdown is an Advent calendar of recipes.

v Invite another family to share in one of your Advent ceremonies.

v Make a collage/montage of newspaper and magazine clippings which depict the true meaning and spirit of Christmas (put on poster board).

v Put a feeder outside for the birds which winter in our area.

v "Adopt" a child in a foreign country.

v Play a scramble game.  Have each family member submit scrambled words having to do with Advent or the Christmas story. Then, have the assembled group unscramble them.

v Play a Bible "find" game. Give family members a list of words or phrases having to do with the Christmas story and have them search Matthew and Luke to find the correct verse for each item. (Examples: a special star, an Inn without room, Magi from the East arrive, "Good news of great joy...").

v Become a year-long "Secret Angel" for a person or family outside your church.

v Talk about the background and meaning of a familiar carol.

v Create an Advent cinquain (pronounced "sin-CANE"), a five-line poem with a specific line format.  Line one has only one word -- the title of the poem.  Line two has two words, describing the title.  Line three has three action words or a three-word phrase.  Line four has four words describing a feeling about the title. Line five is one word, with the same meaning as the title.  Here's an example:

Jesus
Wonderful Counselor
Coming  Loving  Teaching
No greater  gift  exists
Savior

v Read a short story which reveals the true Christmas spirit. (Some Advent booklets have these, as well as most Guidepost magazine issues.)

v Create a joint-effort family letter with descriptions of how God has shown his love to your family during the last year.

v Talk about what life was like for people in Joseph and Mary's time -- how they lived, what they ate, what they wore, what their houses were like, etc.

v Start new traditions.  Discuss which Advent activities the family wants to adopt as an annual tradition.

v Take a picture of your family as it is gathered for the Advent ceremony.

v Share your Advent traditions with others in your church.

v Discuss one or more words or phrases related to Advent such as  reaching out, helping, sharing, caring, love, giving, joy, hope, peace, faith, light, or freedom.