This year, the official first day of Advent is December 3rd, so buy your candles and advent wreath or log makings asap. That is what advent is all about…preparation. I have some directions here for helping you to prepare for the season.
An Advent Wreath Idea
Here are some simple directions on how to create an Advent Wreath.
A fresh wreath requires:
- shallow bowl or dish,
- oasis (also known as florist’s foam, it is available from any florist), in blocks or preformed circle
- floral tape
- three purple candles,
- one pink candle,
- four white candles,
- pine or cedar boughs, or ivy. (or all three!)
Easy DIY Wreath with inexpensive materials
Make the wreath by first soaking the oasis in warm water until it is completely saturated. Fit it into the bowl, carving it and packing it in tightly as necessary so that it will not shift around. Use the floral tape to further secure it. ( even if it looks a bit sloppy, it is all covered with plant material by the time you are done)
Carve four holes in the oasis for the candles. Place the candles in the holes you have made and begin sticking greenery into the oasis to completely cover it. For the thick twigs of pine, etc, you can use a knife to shave the end of the twigs to a point. It looks pretty to have some trailing boughs over the edges of the bowl, and closely packed around the candles to hide all the foam.
Keep the foam well watered, and try not to let the candles burn down so low that they scorch the greenery, and the wreath will last from the first Sunday of Advent until Epiphany.
Advent Log
The next How-To will be on the Advent Log, our own tradition here at my house. In my own preparations for this year’s Advent, I decided to use candles made of beeswax. They are a little more pricey, but the beeswax is more healthful, has less to no smoke, and is long lasting. I am very happy with this candle material.
We have reduced the number of candles we use (once it was for every day of the season), due to a household full of adults who all have busy schedules. I miss the days when there was a devotional time every day, but our observation of the more traditional Sundays creates an atmosphere of wonder. Wonder at the great love of God expressed in the advent of Christ.
Beeswax Advent Candles
Creating the Devotionals
The next Advent preparation is to be ready with the devotional readings and activities. Whether choosing to use the Jesse Tree or a booklet of devotionals (how I first began), or compiling you favorites from my site (free for personal use),create your plan.
Activity Supplies
Make your list of needed supplies for any activities you plan to use. If you want to be organized enough to seamlessly follow your plan, do this for the entire advent season. Otherwise, week to week will suffice.
Once you have a schedule of your devotionals the activities will be easy to get ready. A simple box to hold them makes everything tidy and simple to access.
If this is your first year to follow an Advent celebration, it can be a few more tasks than in the past. However, all these preparations pave the way for future years of a Christmas enriched with spiritual meaning and family connection.
It is worth the time and effort! Our family has many happy memories created by this tradition, and not all of the times were faultless or perfect… just like the rest of family life. but it has woven a set of beautiful experiences for each of us.
I hope the same for you!
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