Amid the excitement of holiday decorations, Christmas shopping, and preparing for festivities, Advent often gets lost in the shuffle. In today’s world, many people skip straight to Christmas, forgetting about the beautiful, reflective season that precedes it. But Advent doesn’t have to be overlooked. In fact, it can be a time of anticipation, family bonding, and meaningful preparation for the birth of Christ—especially for young Catholic families.
In this post, we’ll explore why Advent has fallen off the radar for many families and how you can bring it back into focus with modern, exciting activities that will capture your children’s attention. Let’s rediscover the joy of Advent and make it a season your family looks forward to every year.
1. Why Has Advent Been Overlooked?
There was a time when Advent was as integral to Christmas preparations as the holiday itself. The anticipation of Christ’s birth filled families with a sense of purpose, prayer, and reflection. But over the years, Advent has been overshadowed by commercialism and the growing focus on Christmas decorations, shopping, and parties. In a consumer-driven world, Advent has quietly faded into the background.
The Commercialization of Christmas
The holiday season has become synonymous with gift-buying and elaborate celebrations, leaving little room for the spiritual reflection that Advent encourages. From Black Friday sales to Christmas decor hitting stores in November, society’s focus has shifted toward the material aspects of the holiday season. Advent, with its emphasis on waiting, patience, and spiritual preparation, seems countercultural in a world that values immediacy.
The Focus on Christmas
For many families, Christmas celebrations begin well before December 25th. The joy and excitement of decorating, baking, and planning can make Advent feel like an afterthought. But this focus on Christmas means we’re missing out on the special purpose of Advent: preparing our hearts for the true meaning of the season. If we let Advent slip away, we also lose the opportunity to teach our children the value of waiting, reflecting, and anticipating something far more significant than presents under the tree.
2. Making Advent Fun for Kids
One of the reasons Advent may feel irrelevant to young families is that it hasn’t always been presented in an engaging way for children. But with a little creativity, we can turn traditional Advent activities into something kids will love! Here are some ideas for making Advent fun and spiritually enriching for your children:
Crafts and Hands-On Activities
Children love to create, and crafting can be a powerful way to help them engage with the themes of Advent. You can make Advent wreaths, create homemade ornaments, or even build a nativity scene together as a family. Get your kids involved in painting, gluing, and designing. These activities will not only keep them entertained but also give them a tangible connection to the spiritual message of Advent.
Another fantastic way to keep children engaged is through the 2024 Advent Activity Book from Marianna Joy Publishing, which is packed with crafts, games, and Bible verses designed to make each day of Advent meaningful and fun
Games and Advent Challenges
Turning Advent into a game is another way to make it exciting for kids. Create an Advent calendar that offers a fun challenge for each day—whether it’s finding a Bible verse, completing a good deed, or answering a question about the nativity story. These little activities can keep the focus on the meaning of Advent while adding a playful element that children will love.
Advent Calendars with a Twist
Advent calendars are a classic way to count down the days to Christmas, but why not make them extra special? Instead of just chocolates, fill the calendar with daily activities that your kids can look forward to. Include simple but meaningful tasks like writing a prayer, performing a small act of kindness, or drawing a picture of the nativity. The 2024 Advent Activity Book includes a daily calendar with checkboxes for children to complete after each day’s task, encouraging them to stay engaged throughout the season.
3. How to Add Modern Twists to Advent Traditions
To make Advent relevant for today’s families, we need to find ways to incorporate modern tools and trends into the season. With a little creativity, you can breathe new life into traditional practices while still maintaining their spiritual significance.
Using Technology to Engage Kids
Children today are tech-savvy and often drawn to screens. Why not use technology to bring them closer to their faith? Consider using Advent apps or digital Advent calendars that offer daily prayers, reflections, and challenges. You can also create a playlist of Advent-themed music or podcasts that your family can listen to during car rides or while preparing meals together.
YouTube can be another great tool. Watch videos that explain the meaning of Advent or feature children retelling the nativity story. You can even record your children reading a Bible passage or lighting the Advent wreath each Sunday and share it with family members.
Incorporating Music
Music is a wonderful way to bring joy and energy to the season. Create a playlist of both traditional Advent hymns and modern Christian music that speaks to the themes of the season—hope, peace, joy, and love. Play these songs throughout the day to remind your children of the season’s true meaning.
Creative Storytelling
Storytelling is at the heart of the Advent season, as we recount the journey of Mary and Joseph, the birth of Jesus, and the message of hope He brought to the world. Engage your children by telling these stories in creative ways. Use puppets, act out the nativity scene, or even create a family Advent story where each person takes on a character from the nativity. These activities can make the story of Jesus’ birth come alive in new and exciting ways.
4. The Role of Parents in Reviving Advent
Parents play a key role in bringing Advent back into focus for their children. With the demands of modern life, it can be difficult to balance faith, fun, and the busyness of the holiday season, but it’s possible to do so with a little intentionality.
Incorporating Faith into Daily Life
Advent doesn’t have to feel like an extra “to-do” on your list. Instead, it can be woven into your daily life in small but meaningful ways. Set aside time each morning or evening for a short family prayer. Read a Bible verse together or reflect on one of the themes of Advent. The goal is to keep the focus on Christ in the midst of everything else.
Balancing Faith and Fun
It’s important to strike a balance between the spiritual and the fun aspects of the season. Advent activities don’t have to be overly serious or complex. The key is to make sure that faith is the foundation of everything you do. Whether you’re crafting, singing, or reading stories, remind your children that these activities help us prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus.
Creating New Traditions
As a parent, you have the chance to create new traditions that your children will carry with them throughout their lives. These can be as simple as lighting the Advent wreath each Sunday or as elaborate as hosting a family Advent movie night where you watch films that reflect the themes of hope, joy, and love. By blending faith with creativity, you can make Advent a special time that your children will remember fondly.
Advent may have been overlooked in recent years, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. By adding fun, creativity, and modern twists to traditional practices, you can make Advent cool again for your family. Embrace the season as a time to slow down, reflect, and prepare spiritually for the celebration of Christ’s birth.
Don’t let Advent get lost in the holiday rush. Download “100 Fun Ideas for Young Catholic Families to Prepare for Advent 2024” and rediscover the joy of Advent with activities that your kids will love.
