Advent Wreath Explained - for the children

Blessed Childhood, especially at Christmastime, included Advent Wreaths and Calendars.  Happily Married with children later,  it was easy to carry on such glowing customs and fill the house with all the good things in preparation for the Winter Holiday ! 

The Advent Wreath is perfect for homes with young children, and if candles are a safety issue, you can get non-flaming ones, but I simply stay alert - they are lit, honored and then extinguished, always with adults present.   And  soon the children are old enough and  can even help light them - adding the appreciation of the children's growth to the event -  it is all symbols!  

Advent, itself is a commemoration of the ages and ages that mankind was urged to wait in darkness, and worked hard finding bits of the light to prepare for the Coming of the Messaiah -  at Christmas, through our sharing of Him in Communion , to the Parousia, or Second Coming , yet to be !  

The Advent Wreath as we know it today was the creation of a Priest in 1839, to help deal with wiggly little ones, enthusiastic for the coming of Christmas.    

At our home for over 40 years now, this wonderful permanent brass wreath is brought out and shined, and sometimes we add some evergreen boughs around it.    Our home  in those years was a true Holly House, surrounded by the shrubs -  since we'd begun our married life with  a Christmas Wedding - and this one has bells for berries, and one of the leaves snuffs the candles afterward.   It supports the Four candles lit at the four Sundays of Advent, in  certain order and at every suppertime with prayer.    

The Stag at the center holds the CHRISTMAS CANDLE, and both are symbols of the Christ.  The Candle is always large enough to be lit each day thru the Christmas holidays until the Epiphany on January 6th. It is always white and the wick always "virgin" - never lit before Christmas.  The Stag is  also a Jesus symbol, especially among Irish since the stag will route the Irish archenemy, snakes - along with the Irish icon, Saint Patrick;  "the Deers's Cry" his famous Lorica, calls to the symbol of the Christ - the stag.  

The Irish French and Polish American culture is ours and so we chose the style to suit it.   So think and have fun choosing ones that symbolize YOUR family's way.   

Next, after some prayer for guidance for a moment, look online for a nice presentation of Advent Wreath Prayers and Liturgy. This one is from Loyala Press

Gather your family at some regular time - before , during or after the evening meal, and at the first week of Advent, light only one of the purple candles....second week two purple candles, third week is Gaudete Sunday and so the two purple candles are now joined by lighting the pink or rose one...then finally at the Fourth Week of Advent all four candles - three purple and one rose are lit, and each evening the candles and prayer are offered to prepare for Christmas.   JUBILANT - the four candles are now taken away and the one large White candle in the center Reigns - The Savior Christ is Born and we celebrate in prayer and song and gifts and treats and fun social events and fine foods and more....until January 6th when the candle is put away and we thank God for one more Lovely Winter Holiday and its bounty of the spirit to warm us till Spring!     

There is the feeling of immersion in the spirit of the Birth of the Messiah and a beautiful sense of family spirit growth and faith formation...no matter the faith. Such traditions help us to develop a very special sense of the spirit, of  personhood and quality of life.  

The Candle set is found at churches and at Amazon for very little cash - the large white one I always buy specially - this one is beeswax and elegant, but any good white candle is fine - also the large broad pillar candles that stand alone - all that is important is that it be white and never lit before.   So you will want to use it up at special moments thru the year, so it is all gone by next Advent season.   

Elle

p.s. the pedestal is mine and unique - not required;  you can probably do a search for wizard pedestal and find some like it...... but to me it is a holyman and passionately supportive spirit - like Gandalf, Tim Cook from Apple and all Wizards who uphold the best.  

I bought it on impulse and am not silly, so I looked at it , wondering what I was going to do with it and it has been busy ever since. Not always lit...but....When Advent is done the Christmas Tree takes its place. My apartment sized tree is a dazzler and takes tending and delights me and never dies from house heat before the holiday is done !    But the pedestal then  gets set to one side till the next holiday - soon displaying a fancy Valentine, then the Easter Egg display and later flags and pumpkins.     LIFE - it's about life - and please enjoy my wish for a Happy Holiday to you.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Decoded

An Underground Catechism ~

You're all familiar with the Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" I think. To most it's a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. But it had a quite serious purpose when it was written. It is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody with pretty phrases and a list of unique gifts. 

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. It was a crime to BE a Catholic.  "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith.  It was used as a memory aid, when to be caught with anything "in writing",  indicating adherence to the Catholic faith, could be risking one's very life!  Church history includes many British Catholic martyrs for the faith during this era. 

The song's gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. 

"On the First day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, A Partridge in a Pear Tree"                 The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury (since he rose from the dead) to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so."     This opening symbolic reference  bewails the current persecution, and the desire to protect the faithful and tutor the "nestlings" - christian children.

The other symbols mean the following: 

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments 

3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues 

4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists 

5 Golden Rings = The First Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", 

6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation 

7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments 

8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes 

9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit 

10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments 

11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles 

12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed in P.S. below. 

-Paraphrased from -Fr. Hal Stockert 12/17/95 ( his version had to be cleaned up because his report of the persecutions  digressed into boyish delight in describing methods of torture....not really appropriate or inspiring. But no other changes made.) 

P.S. It has come to our attention that this tale is made up of both fact and fiction. But may it be  that this tale give  courage, and determination to use any creative means at one's disposal to keep one's faith alive.    Original resource: Copyright © 1987-2003 Catholic Information Network (CIN) - Updated: 12-26-03 

P.S.  RE: On the twelfth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming.

The twelve drummers represent the twelve precepts of the Faith presented in the Apostle's Creed. The translation of the Creed given in the Catechism is given below.

1. I believe in God, the father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.  
3. Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary 
4. suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. 
5. He descended into hell.
6. On the third day he rose again from the dead
7. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  
8. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 
9. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints
10. the forgiveness of sins
11. the resurrection of the body, and 
12. life everlasting. Amen.