Advent--Part 1

With Advent fast approaching, I thought I would do a series of posts on the subject. This year, Advent begins on Sunday, November 27, 2005.

There seem to be two different schools of thought as to how to approach Advent. One basically says, there is no Advent. Christmas starts December 1, (Or perhaps, November 1!) and all the Christmas-related decorations come out with a vengeance! The tree is put up, the outside lights go on, and the light-up Santa comes out.

The other extreme says that Advent is not Christmas, and therefore, NOTHING comes out until the evening of December 24th, after the kids go to bed. I will admit to having grown up under this theory, and, while it was quite magical to wake up on Christmas morning to a totally transformed home, I later realized how difficult it was for my mom, who had the responsibility of doing all this, as well as making all the Christmas stuff "magically" disappear on January 6, usually while my dad was at work.

What does this all have to do with Advent? I have discovered that I am a visual/sensory/ADD type person who has to have a lot going on in my environment. Being prone to depression, I just can't have a newly-darkened environment for weeks before Christmas with no visual or emotional break.

My own way of coping with this is to go all-out, whole-hog in decorating for Advent, starting, not on December 1, but whenever Advent begins, which is often before December. The tree itself does not go up until the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday--the "pink" Sunday). But, as soon as Advent itself starts, I put out my Advent wreath(s), my entire manger scene, without the baby Jesus, my Mary statue (without her baby Jesus), and I decorate my mantel with purple and pink candles and purple Christmas balls. The wreath outside my home is a grape vine wreath wrapped in purple and gold ribbon.

All this adds to the festivity of the season without bowing to the "Christmas-starts-right-after-Halloween" crowd. The profusion of purple and Nativities without the Baby in them, reminds me to prepare for a season which is fast approaching, and, not to despair the shortness of days which come this time of year.