As a revert to the faith, I’m learning so much about Catholicism and all of its beautiful traditions and practices. I never thought about living liturgically at home, but after reading a book I randomly stumbled upon (Liturgical Living by Kendra Tierney), I have a different perspective now.
This Catholic new year, we’re being intentional about celebrating Advent! It’s so easy to be on Christmas-mode the day after Thanksgiving, that I forget Advent is a mini-lent — it’s a time to prepare our hearts for our Lord. Instead of decking the halls post-Thanksgiving, decorating will be a process we embark on throughout Advent.
Here are some ways we’re celebrating Advent at home:
Advent Wreath
On the first day of Advent (December 3, 2023), we’re going to make an Advent wreath! This is our first time doing this. We plan to clip evergreen from my husband’s parent’s yard and assemble the evergreen on a wreath mold I bought from the dollar store (I love a good deal). I also bought 4 taper candle holders to place our Advent candles in. Annnd we’re using an Advent candle-making kit to roll up our own advent candles. This is a very DIY Advent. I linked the resources below for your reference!
After assembling the Advent wreath, we’ll bless the wreath. This isn’t mandatory but it’s a tradition we’d like to implement in our family.
In the evening, we’re going to light our first Advent candle and pray the Advent wreath prayer for the first week of Advent. As each week passes, we’ll light the next candle and pray that week’s Advent wreath prayer, and so forth. This will take place before dinner every evening. I’m hoping to keep our candles lit as we eat dinner, but we’ll see how it goes.
Patron Saint of the Year
On the first day of Advent, we’re also choosing our patron saint of the year. This is a prayerful choice for us, as we’re choosing a saint we’re called to learn more about and grow in relationship with in the new year. In addition to learning more about our chosen patron saints, we’re also going to mark the calendar to attend their feasts and celebrate them in 2024!
Feast of St. Nicholas (The Patron Saint of Children)
Our baby boy will be receiving an Advent gift from St. Nick on December 6. We plan to go to mass to celebrate St. Nick’s feast day and we also will be getting Santa pics that weekend. When our baby boy is older, we plan to tell him about the history of St. Nick on his feast day.
Nativity Scene
On the second Sunday of Advent, we’ll set up the Nativity scene. In efforts to be as chronologically accurate as we can, we’re only setting up the manger and animals. Mary and Joseph will join on the third Sunday of Advent, and of course, baby Jesus will join on Christmas Eve. This will be fun to do when the little guy is older, as he’ll understand the story of the birth of a Jesus more and how everything came to be.
After setting up the Nativity scene, we’ll bless the Nativity scene. This isn’t mandatory but it’s a tradition we’d like to implement in our family.
Christmas Novena
I learned about the Christmas Novena after reading The Catholic All Year Companion by Kendra Tierney. The novena is prayed from December 16 to December 24. We’re using Kendra’s book to guide us through this. Each evening after dinner, we’ll pray the opening prayers and read scripture. It’s a beautiful way to wrap up our sometimes chaotic days, and refocus our hearts on the Lord and the story of salvation.
If you’re interested in doing this, there are many free resources online. However, I highly, highly recommend Kendra’s book. In my opinion, Kendra’s books make liturgical living simpler — especially because I’m still learning about this.
Christmas Tree
On the third Sunday of Advent, we’re getting a Christmas tree! Because our little guy is a curious explorer, we won’t be setting out gifts under the tree until Christmas Eve. We plan to finish decorating the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
After setting up the Christmas Tree, we’ll bless the Christmas Tree. Again, this isn’t mandatory, but it’s a tradition we’d like to begin in our family. Do what works for you!
Key Takeaways
- The main focus of Advent is to prepare our hearts and homes for our Lord — to renew our desire for Jesus and to grow in greater intimacy with Him. It’s like a mini-lent, where we focus on prayer, reflection, fasting, and scripture. Regardless of what you choose to do during Advent, remember the “why” behind Christmas and why we celebrate it!
- Decorating is a process. Every week, we’ll decorate a bit more but not all once. By December 24, we plan to be ready to party and celebrate the birth of our Lord! But remember, every family is different. Do what works best for you.
- During Advent is when we plan to get all of the cleaning and pending items done (e.g. mail out Christmas cards, wrap presents) so that we can focus on celebrating our Lord and resting in His love for the 12 days of Christmas!
Below I’m compiling a list of the resources I mentioned in this article, in addition to other resources you may find helpful.
Happy (almost) Advent Season!
Liturgical Living Resources
The Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life, Kendra Tierney
The Catholic All Year Companion: The Liturgical Year in Practice, Kendra Tierney
What is Advent, anyway?, CNA Staff
Advent Resources
Advent Prayers
Little Catholic Mama 
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