I decided to modify our Advent traditions a bit. Since we are usually very busy on Sundays and not home on Sunday night anyway till late, I decided to move our Advent wreath stuff to the Saturdays before.
This Saturday was our first one. So we lit our candle, read the prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, read a little devotion (for kids) on what Advent means, and that was it. We'll read the Scripture passages throughout the week.
(I'm getting to the non-religious, feel-good stuff, though this is feel-good religious stuff to me.
)
The second part of my new tradition is to have some kind of fun, Christmas beverage and snack afterwards and to watch a Christmas movie. (These are kid-friendly beverages, though I plan to make some adult ones for after they go to bed!) This past Saturday we had eggnog (from the store) and cookies that the girls had made.
We had put up all of our decorations (except for the tree) earlier that day, so I lit all of our candles, turned on the light in the large Nativity set we have, and turned off all of the other lights. (We have a lot of candles.) I cranked up the fireplace; we poured eggnog into my pretty Christmas glasses, put the cookies on a cute snowman plate I have, and passed them around. We turned on the movie--
The Santa Clause--and snuggled into our blankets.
That was a feel-good Christmas thing for me.
The night before (Friday) we played games--Uno, gin rummy, and then spoons, which was new to the girls. They really liked spoons, so I think we will be playing that again. I might add this to the new tradition (game time).
Next Saturday, I want to make steamed milk or something like that, and I'm not sure about the snack yet. (We will be out of town for Freddy's dad's surgery, and I'm not sure what time we'll be getting back into town. So it has to be something easy or from the store.) I want to get the movie,
Home Alone, for that night. If we don't, though, I have several others already that will work.
(We love
A Christmas Story, but the language is so bad! I like to watch it on TV, where it's edited.)
On Christmas Eve, after the girls have gone to bed, Freddy and I wrap presents, drink eggnog (though this year might be grogg or mulled wine or something), and watch
It's a Wonderful Life (which Freddy hates, but I love). I think we may watch that with the girls on one of the Saturdays of Advent, however, and then he and I can watch something else instead.
So is that what you had in mind, Alatar?
Lali