The first 24 days of December is the time period known as Advent. This time period leads up to Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Christ. Advent from a language prospective actually owes its roots to a Latin word, “adventus.” This word means “coming” and it denotes that the holiday precedes the day that Christ comes.

One of the most common ways to prepare for Advent is to signify the progression of the holiday with an Advent calendar. There are a number of different ways advent calendars can be created.

Advent candles are the most popular way that is used to track the days in the calendar. Since Advent has 24 days, the calendar has 24 candles. The family celebrating the holiday gathers together and lights one of the candles each day of the advent season.

There are a wide variety of designs that make up an Advent calendar. Calendars are most commonly used by children to track the days of the period. One example of an Advent calendar design is a Christmas tree that has 24 candles on different branches of the tree.

Another common form of an advent calendar is in the form of a candy holder. The calendar consists of 24 pockets each filled with small amounts of candy or chocolate. When one of the days of advent arrives, a child would take the candy out of the candy holder in the calendar and eat it.

An advent wreath is another form of preparation for the Advent holiday. Unlike the calendar that tracks each day of the season, the wreath tracks the four weeks of the holiday period. There are four candles that make up the wreath and as each week arrives, a candle is lit to commemorate the arrival of one of the weeks of advent.

There are a number of different activities that Christian families participate in to celebrate the season. For instance, many churches light candles and focus their efforts on special prayers and teachings to prepare for the season. Some churches even have special hymns that they sing that focus on the coming of Christ. In addition, some denominations encourage their members to fast or give up certain activities during this season.

At home, there are a number of Advent activities that can be conducted together as a family. For example, some families have their kids gather together and actually create their own advent calendar or wreath to celebrate the holiday season. Other families have their kids color in special advent themed coloring books that commemorate the holiday season.

Advent is a special time for millions of families all across the world. The decision for how you and your family prepare for it is a personal one. If you need ideas and suggestions, what we have provided here will help give you some ideas as well as help prompt you to come up with your own ideas as to how to celebrate this significant holiday season.

Kerry Beck offers free advent calendars with daily Christmas activities to prepare your family for Christmas. Your family will learn more about Christmas history with some of the daily activities.

As Christian men and women, we know the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts, but how many of us proclaim this fact to the world around us during the holidays? We can gently challenge those who would see Christmas as a time for commercialism and greed by letting our actions speak for themselves.

Spread the message. Want to give something special to a neighbor or fellow employee? The gift of the Word would make the best present. Tell them the Christmas story. It’s not “‘Twas the Night before Christmas”. Ready made pamphlets recounting the birth of the Jesus can be bought online and delivered to your door. To have that personalized touch, how about creating a leaflet of your own. A small token, like a candle, can be added also the to present. Fill someone’s heart with the blessings of God’s message.

Share His love. When someone invites a person to their house, it signifies that they wish to share their good fortune with them. When we accept Christ into our lives, his home becomes our home. Invite a friend or coworker to God’s house for an Advent service or a family Christmas Eve church service. They will be glad they came.

Get involved. For people living on the fringes of society, life gets a little bit harder around the Christmas holidays. Suicide rates increase. Those in urgent need, like the poor and destitute, become more so due to the weather conditions that time of year. God cries out for us to show His love.

Volunteers are a welcomed sight at holiday time. Soup kitchens and food banks seek extra people to prepare and serve hot meals and help with food box deliveries. The social services agency can provide particulars on families in the area that want to be “adopted” for Christmas. As a church body, everyone can pitch in and provide gifts and other necessary items. Providing gifts for orphaned children can also be a church project or one taken on by individual families within the congregation. If you see a need that has yet to be met, begin your own program to provide it or let your family do it.

The object here is to let Christ’s light shine in the life of another. During his lifetime, Jesus met each person at their level of need. Someone whose belly has been filled with food you helped to provide will be ready to hear more about the God you serve.

Living Christ’s life is a commitment to spread the Word and love to others. If Christ is always prioritized in your lives, your actions should be known by everyone. Being Christians, we have a chance to give to the world the true meaning of the Christmas season.

Kris King gives free advent calendars with daily Christmas projects to prepare you for Christmas. you will learn more about holiday traditions with many of the daily projects.

People often think of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as the days preceding the festival. Actually, Epiphany is the season of the Christian Year that lasts for the twelve days beginning December 25 and lasting until January 6. These days surrounding the holiday Epiphany include the church’s celebration of Christ as the Light of the world and recalls the journey of the magi.

Every day, from December 25 to January 6, was traditionally a part of the Yuletide celebration. Dedicated to mercy and compassion, each day was noted by selfless giving and tender charity. In many cultures, gift giving was not concentrated on a single day, but rather, as in the famous folk song, spread throughout the entire season.

The Church in England was prohibited from practicing their faith openly or in private from 1558 until’29. It was then that ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ song was written to be sung in public without fear of imprisonment. It became a type of catechism. The words to the 12 Days of Christmas song are an allegory with 2 meanings: the literal meaning and the second meaning known only to Christian followers.

Each element in the carol is a word for a religious reality. The ‘true love’ represents God and ‘me’ is the group called to receive these gifts as a Christian. On the first day, the partridge in a pear tree is symbolic of Jesus Christ coming to earth to save men.

Sing the song to yourself to figure out the rest of the religious meaning as you browse through the lyrics to the song, 12 Days of Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

Kris King gives free advent calendars with daily Christmas projects to prepare you for Christmas. you will discover alot about holiday traditions with some of the daily projects.