Don't believe what the Advent Calendar manufacturers tell you: tomorrow is not the first day of Advent. Today is. It's the fourth Sunday before Christmas, the day to light the first candle on the advent wreath. Commercial companies have made sure you can't open the first window on your "Advent" calendar until tomorrow.
I've brought my Advent stable into the house ready for tomorrow. No figures out yet, though. It's empty, a space where a wonderful story will emerge.
I'm the sort of person who starts Christmas preparation as soon as possible after Christmas because I want to let Advent be Advent: a time of spiritual preparation. The Christmas tree won't go up for a couple of weeks yet. Most presents are made and wrapped, cards are ready to be posted. Most of the seasonal food is in the freezer. The music is more, "O come, O come Emmanuel" than "Hark, the herald angels sing".
So this Advent Sunday is the quiet day before the rest of the world realises that Advent has begun. It's a day of faith and waiting on God.
I'm looking forward to your Advent A-Z and have just listened to "O come, O come Emmanuel" on radio 4 - A good happy hymn!
ReplyDeleteYes, a great Advent hymn!
DeleteLooking forward to your Advent A-Z and today is St Andrew’s Day in Scotland. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI've still got thistles on my tree in honour of the day!
DeleteMy Alexa has my Christmas songs play list, everything from carols, Welsh male voice choir, pop going back to the 50's, I do love December.
ReplyDeleteI won't be playing Christmas music for a while, just Advent stuff for a couple of weeks.
DeleteCommercial Christmas and spiritual/religious Christmas are nodding acquaintances, sadly.
ReplyDeleteBut at least they nod!
DeleteIt's beena superb Advent Sunday and rounded off November perfectly. Just got the wreath made and batteries for first candle charged in time.
ReplyDeleteHaven't got a home Advent wreath but I'm booked in for a Christmas (door) wreath course this week.
DeleteI love Advent in the church. The lighting of the first candle happened this morning. It is the candle of Hope, and I always hope for peace and goodwill around our earth and for the coming of Christ.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Advent wreaths do bring hope with them.
DeleteWe are ahead of you timewise, so we lit our first Advent candle yesterday morning at church so our getting ready time has started. I know you are sort of hibernating for the winter but here in Perth we are hibernating for the opposite reason 38C today so we get things done early in the day then stay inside with the air conditioner on. Even going to the beach for a swim is too hot. I love living in Australia and the only things I've never got used to is the heat and Vegemite, it's like your Marmite and can't even stand the smell of it. Shirley in Perth.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a joyful Advent season.
ReplyDelete