New Advent Tradition

Each year we try to do something new to lengthen our preparations (but not our celebrations) for Christmas into the entire season of Advent.  Some things we have done in the past are the Jesse Tree, Advent candles, marking the many important feasts throughout December, and slowly decorating throughout the season.  We still do all of those things, and this year we added slowly getting food ready to avoid that big rush at the end as well.  On the first Sunday in Advent in addition to getting our tree (but leaving it bare) and doing some light decorating with greens (while putting away our fall decorations), we also made chocolate covered cashews together.



The plan is to make one Christmas treat each Sunday in Advent.  We make a lot and then label them into bags for the various events we will use them for.  For example, we are hosting Tim's family for Christmas this year so one gallon baggie is labeled for that, my mom is having surgery in a couple weeks so we are setting aside a few treats for her (she doesn't read my blog so that secret should be safe), and we set aside some for our own Christmas Eve after Mass and Christmas season celebrations.   Then there is a bag for extras/sharing....all tucked away in the freezer until they are needed.    Everyone got to try one treat (this week chocolate covered cashews) on Sunday but that is all until the Christmas feasting begins.



I know I will like spreading out the baking (while also keeping the baking in check...four Sundays means four kinds of Christmas cookie....we really don't need more than that), so hopefully this will go smoothly and we will add this to our list of Advent traditions next year!



For more Advent ideas, including seeing the Advent chain we made a few years ago, which made a come back this year complete with daily special activities, visit my Posts of Advent Past.