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Christmas trees go up the day after Thanksgiving and go out the day after Christmas, just before the ritual of returning and exchanging gifts.
The time in between is a flurry of parties, shopping, and school events. But many families have tired of this “winter holidays” whirlwind. Instead, they are choosing the treasure of approaching Advent and Christmas as the Church does—with four weeks of preparation, followed by almost two weeks of celebrating Jesus’ birth.
Amy Horlander, a mother of five, explains: “When I was a child, we tore into our presents on Christmas morning and were surrounded by heaps of ripped wrapping paper. Then, nothing—Christmas was over. Karl and I wanted our children to experience Christmas as a Christ-centered season, not just as one day of getting gifts. That’s why we decided to celebrate Advent and the Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Prepare Your Hearts. The Horlanders begin preparing for Christmas on the First Sunday of Advent, which opens the new Church…
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