“Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled;
and every mountain and hill shall be brought low;
and the crooked shall be made straight;
and the rough ways plain;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Luke 3:4-6
Advent is both a new beginning and a waiting. At the same time that we begin a new liturgical year, we are waiting for the coming of our Savior at Christmas. And while it’s easy to get caught up in the flurry of activity that precedes Christmas, we are reminded by St. Luke that what we are preparing for is not a festive dinner, nor an exchange of gifts, but rather an event that is the source and principle from which all these beautiful and natural traditions flow. God Himself enters into His fallen creation for the sole purpose of saving His beloved children, and so the Church proposes to us that Advent is a time to step back and reflect not only on His Incarnation in the fullness of time but also on all of God’s saving action throughout history. We await for only four weeks what the world awaited for centuries. Taking these four weeks as a time to wait and reflect in patient expectation allows the celebration of Christmas to blossom forth at the right time, beginning on Christmas, not preceding it. Catholic culture is rich with traditions that can bring the mysterious beauty of Advent to life and light and extend the celebration of Christmas into the New Year. Below are suggestions to bring some of these practices into your classrooms and schools.
Advent Wreath
The Advent wreath is a tradition steeped in symbolism. The evergreen branches, a symbol of life, are shaped into a circle which, like God, has no beginning or end. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent and are lit in succession each Sunday to mark the time left until Christmas and to remind us that Christ’s coming is a light in the darkest time of year. Three are purple because Advent is a “mini-Lent,” a time of prayer and penance in preparation for Christ’s birth. The rose candle is lit on Gaudete Sunday because it is a day of rejoicing that Christmas is close.
In the classroom:
- Incorporate an Advent wreath into your classroom space for the season of Advent. Have a blessing ceremony at the beginning of Advent and “light” the candles and sing as part of your morning prayer routine.
- Printable Advent wreath
Advent Calendar
The custom of the Advent calendar has been somewhat hijacked in recent years as a marketing tool for various products (chocolate, beer, etc.), but it remains a beautiful practice to count down the days to Christmas.
In the classroom:
- Have students write prayer intentions and insert them into an Advent calendar. Incorporate these prayer intentions into your daily wreath ceremony and throughout the day.
- If you are doing a Jesse tree with your class (see below), the class ornaments and corresponding readings can also be placed in your Advent calendar to be opened each day, along with the prayer intentions.
- Have students “add” something to a gift collection Advent calendar each day for someone in need.
- Catholic Child’s Advent Calendar
- Use the USCCB Advent calendar for Scripture readings and other suggestions.
- Family Advent calendar for use in the home
Music
There are many beautiful Advent hymns and chants from the Church’s musical tradition. Students will most likely be preparing Christmas music for a concert, so balancing that with Advent music in the classroom can help maintain an atmosphere of peaceful preparation.
In the classroom:
- Sing a verse of Veni, Veni Emmanual each day as you light your Advent wreath.
- Play Advent music during quiet working time or transitions.
- Listen to the Latin or English chants for the O Antiphons from December 17-23 (see below).
Advent Classroom Decor
Jesse Tree
The Jesse tree is a tradition of reading Scriptural accounts of salvation history from creation to Jesus’ nativity each day in December. Corresponding ornaments are hung on a tree.
In the classroom:
- If a Christmas tree is part of your regular December decor, put it up without lights and ornaments and use it to hang a class set of Jesse tree ornaments throughout the season. Read the corresponding Scripture with your class each day. Students can decorate the tree and the rest of the classroom for Christmas the last day before break.
- Printable Jesse tree ornaments (English and Spanish) (Note: There are many different versions using various Scriptural readings. These ornaments and readings are meant to be reused each year, but other versions exist that correspond to the daily readings for the current liturgical year.)
- Jesse Tree Treasures has beautiful options for investing in something more sturdy.
- Have students color and assemble this Jesse Tree stained glass mural from Chartres Cathedral (explanation of the panels).
- Extend into the home by printing enough copies for students to have their own set of ornaments.
Candles in the Window
Placing candles in the windows of a home is an Irish tradition. The practice is thought to have originated as a way to indicate that the home was a safe place for a priest to come say Mass during the persecution of Catholics. Over time, the practice broadened to indicate that the home was open to welcome anyone in need. As an Advent tradition, it symbolizes the openness of the home to the arrival of Christ and the hope with which we await His coming.
In the classroom:
- Place candles at the bottom of your classroom windows (electric, printed and colored, felt cutouts, etc.). Holly leaves and berries, ribbon, etc. can be added the last day before break to transform them into a Christmas decoration.
- Discuss with your class that our hearts must also be open to receiving Christ at Christmas.
O Antiphons
The days from December 17-23 are marked by the “O Antiphons,” which are said or sung daily before the Magnificat at Evening Prayer. They are titles of Jesus rooted in Scripture that express the hope of the Messiah’s arrival. The first letters of the Latin word for each O Antiphon when read backward spell out “ero cras” — “tomorrow I will be.”
In the classroom:
- Continue to add to your Jesse tree the ornaments that correspond with the O Antiphons.
- Pray the O Antiphons and the Magnificat as your closing prayer at the end of the school day.
- O Antiphon House
Prayer
- Advent Angels: Have students draw names anonymously for a prayer buddy (Advent Angel) during the season of Advent. The focus during Advent should be primarily on gifting prayer, but students can bring a small gift to celebrate Epiphany on January 6.
- Sacrament of Penance: As Advent is a season of penitence, arrange to take your class to the Sacrament of Penance sometime before Christmas break.
- The St. Andrew Novena begins on November 30 and continues through December 24. Choose a class prayer intention for the novena and/or encourage your students to pray at home with their families.
- Do a weekly Visio Divina activity with your class.
- Do a weekly Lectio Divina activity with your class.
Nativity/Creche
A custom introduced by St. Francis of Assisi, the Christmas nativity scene can be found in most homes, churches, and schools.
In the classroom:
- Display your nativity scene throughout Advent with the figures of only the animals and shepherds. Choose starting points for Mary and Joseph and the Three Kings and move them a little closer each day as a “journey” through your classroom until they reach the stable at Christmas and Epiphany respectively. Add Baby Jesus and the Angel after Christmas.
- Read Bambinelli Sunday to younger students.
- Have your priest bless your Infant Jesus on or near Bambinelli Sunday (Gaudete Sunday).
- Have a larger size Christmas crib that students can fill with “straw” for good deeds done throughout the day. Their sacrifices and virtuous acts make a soft bed for Baby Jesus at Christmas time. See this Christmas Crib Kit for inspiration.
Advent Feasts
Putting off the celebration of Christmas does not mean putting off celebrating entirely. There are many beautiful feasts to celebrate with your students during the season of Advent. The links below have information and suggested activities for each feast.
- December 6: St. Nicholas
- Have students bring shoes to leave out on December 5. Fill the shoes with treats and a St. Nicholas prayer card for their arrival on the morning of December 6.
- St. Nicholas Mural
- The St. Nicholas Center has some good resources, with the caveat that it is not a Catholic organization.
- December 8: Immaculate Conception: The Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the United States, so her feast could be celebrated in conjunction with a patriotic activity.
- December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe: Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas and of the unborn, so her feast could be celebrated in conjunction with a pro-life activity.
- December 13: St. Lucy
Festival of Lessons and Carols
The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a tradition from the English Church of gathering to pray with Scripture readings tracing salvation history and accompanying prayers and carols. While this might not be something achievable by a single classroom, it is worth considering transforming your school Christmas program to this format, which allows for a prayerful and liturgical experience of the beauty of the Advent season for your entire school community. The light symbolism is particularly striking in the last reading from St. John’s gospel — a candlelit ambiance could be created by extinguishing or dimming the lights and using battery-operated tea lights during this final reading.
Further Resources and Activities
- Look to Him and Be Radiant has many liturgical year resources, including Advent.
- Dumb Ox Publications has beautiful stained-glass based Advent projects.
Waiting to celebrate Christmas until December 25 goes against the grain of our current secular culture but reaps great spiritual rewards in our hearts and in those of our students and families. On a practical note, December is such a busy month that it can be a relief for teachers not to have to plan additional activities or parties for their classrooms. Observing Advent before Christmas and waiting to have a Christmas party and gift exchange around the feast of Epiphany allows the Church’s liturgical seasons to remain in their proper place and gives something to look forward to upon returning to school.
“Drop down dew ye heavens from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One. Let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior.” May our hearts be opened this year through the observance of Advent so that our Christmas celebration may bud forth with joy and peace!