An excerpt from Advent: Lighting a Path to Christmas

The first light of Advent is the light of stone--.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.

The second light of Advent is the light of plants--
Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.

The third light of Advent is the light of beasts--
All await the birth, from the greatest and in least.

The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind--
The light of hope that we may learn to love and understand.

This lovely verse has been attributed to Rudolf Steiner, although I have not been able to verify this, nor have I found who translated it into English. Regardless, it captures the evolution of the season—from Advent to Christmas, from sedentary and thoughtless rock to active and thought-full people, from darkness to light. Advent, from the Latin word adventus, or “coming,” carries us through the dark of winter and into the coming of Christ.

Advent is traditionally a time of preparation for Christmas. We prepare not only our homes, but our hearts, for the coming of the Christ Child. It is my hope that this guide will help you to create a peaceful and gentle Advent season, both for you and your children. This is especially important in this consumer age, when Christmas decorations are on display before we’ve even passed Halloween! You may find yourself at odds with what the world is selling, but Advent is a time of in-breathing and introspection. Outward, all is still, but inside, we’re doing great inner work.

As the days grow shorter and colder, I invite you to walk this journey with me. Quiet your heart and your mind, and trade in the busyness and meaningless noise of the season to create a more meaningful and peaceful Advent for your family. I promise you won’t forget it.

While writing this seasonal guide, I’ll confess that I had a niggling fear in the back of my mind. I worry that already overtaxed mothers would read this and add a whole new list of “musts” to their already crowded lives.

Please do not see this as another thing on your to do list. This guide is meant to be a jumping off place, a one-stop shop for ideas and inspiration. It is not intended to be one more thing to stress you out. More important than any of the doing is the striving to create an atmosphere of peace, light, and anticipation.

If it seems overwhelming, or if the practice of keeping Advent is new to you, I would suggest just choosing one or two things to do each week or each day. Perhaps you’ll make or buy an Advent wreath or calendar, or maybe you’ll choose to set up a nature table. I personally think the most important thing you can do is to follow the “inner work” section in the Appendix, because centering yourself and understanding the “why” behind keeping Advent is essential if you are to pass the spirit of Advent on to your children.

I’d also like to encourage you not to let perfection be the enemy of the good. If you can’t afford beeswax candles or 100% wool felt, don’t let that stop you from setting up a wreath or making a craft. Those expensive wooden Nativity figures are wonderful, but so, too, are little table puppets made from cardboard tubes and scraps of paper. If you don’t have time to make sugar cookie dough from scratch, the world won’t end if you buy cookie dough in a tube.

Most of all, have a gentle Advent. In these days of cold and darkness, strive towards warmth and light, and may it bring joy, hope, peace, and love to you and your family.