In today’s society, everyone focuses on Christmas during December, and we often forget about Advent, or just see Advent as something that happens before Christmas. In the busyness of the season, we tend to put our focus on the gifts, the tree, the decoration, the food. We are too consumed with all these other things, that we forget about why Advent is so important!
One of the reasons I love the Catholic Faith is because of all our wonderful traditions, and how many things we take for granted have their origins in the Catholic faith. As a way to remind ourselves that Advent and Christmas should be focused on Christ, I want to share some Catholic traditions that Catholic families should include in their homes during this Season, and how things we already include have Catholic origins.
Let’s start with the Christmas Tree. During the 8th Century in Germany, St. Boniface cut down a tree that the local people believed could not be cut down because it was sacred to the god, Thor. St. Boniface pointed their attention instead to a Fir Tree as a symbol of Christ. Fir trees point upward, towards heaven, the evergreen branches symbolizing everlasting life.
In St. Francis of Assisi’s day, people were using Christmas as a time to party, and many of them forgot why we celebrate Christmas. To counter that, St. Francis created the first Nativity scene, as a visual reminder that Christ is the reason for the season.
St. Nicholas is often tied to the secular Christmas figure of Santa Claus. While St. Nick didn’t climb down chimneys, or ride a sleigh pulled by reindeer, he did leave things for people in their stockings. His family was very wealthy, but he wanted to help those around him who were not as fortunate. He paid for the dowry of three poor girls by leaving bags of money in the family’s house during the night. Many families place candy or oranges in the shoes of the family members on his feast day, December 6th.
The Jesse Tree is a wonderful way for us to prepare for Christmas, because it takes us through the major stories and people of the Old Testament that led to Jesus. The name “Jesse” comes from King David’s father, Jesse. Isaiah says that a branch will come forth from the stump of Jesse, meaning that the Savior will come from the line of Jesse, which Jesus does. The Jesse Tree is kind of like Jesus’ Family Tree.
There are so many more wonderful Catholic traditions that I could mention, like the advent wreath and St. Lucy’s feast day. While we can get busy with our “to-do lists” in December, let us remember that the food, gifts, and decorations are not important. They are wonderful, and add something special to the season, but even if we didn’t have them, Christ is still the reason for the season. We should still be filled with love and joy, just like the Whos down in Whoville at the end of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” May we all find hope, peace, joy and love this Advent Season!
~ Noëlle, Youth Ministry Coordinator
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