Simplicity in Advent

We have incredibly simple advent traditions in our home.

Each Advent Sunday we light a candle and watch a movie together.

The first week of advent we decorate the outside and begin decorating the inside. We stretch our indoor decorations out, adding things throughout the month. Depending on when advent falls we might decorate the outside on December 1st, but the inside decorations always wait until the first week of advent.

Second week of Advent we cut and decorate our tree. 

We spend the month of December reading books together, playing games, baking, crafting, listening to the Boney M Christmas Album on repeat, hanging out.

And that is it.

Simple.

It is a time of rest and gathering together and really sinking into the darkening days.

Traditions need not be elaborate.  Sometimes hanging out is the best tradition ever.

We often over complicate things with our own enthusiasm, and I can tell you that when my two teens share memories from advent, it is always the moments of gathering quietly together they recall and not the elaborate events we might have created or taken part in.

Feel comfortable with simple if that is where your heart is leading you. Appreciate the beauty that others create and then shut the door on any self judgments because your celebration or traditions are different. AND if you go all out and do ALL the things, appreciate the beauty that others create and then shut the door on any self judgments because your celebrations or traditions are different. (Do you see what I did there?? ha)

The traditions and celebrations created from your heart are exactly what is needed for your family.

Recognizing the beauty in your own traditions the greatest gift of all.

Until next time,
Marina