Friday Five: Advent Traditions.

 Mary Beth has posted

Today’s Friday Five, is Advent Confidential. What are your favorite traditions, observances, hymns, or memories of Advent? Is there something you remember from childhood that you’d like to do again? A funny story you can share about the time the Advent wreath got a little over-lit? We are here and listening!

1. Hmmmm.  We don't decorate for Christmas, Easter, or whatever at the house. We have never had the time. We have a hard time just getting the house neat so that one can find a place to sit down when they drop by. But we always have eggnog in the house for those who do.

2.  We also have had cats from the beginning.  Feline beasties are inclined to have way too much fun with decorations so any decorations ended up shredded before we could ever get them up.

3.  In my family, tree trimming always created the biggest fights of the year.  Years ago I decided that it was better to be Adventual than Christmasy.  So I tend to wear purple and finess the rest.  The

bishops didn't like it much but now my white hair wins out.

4. I always allowed the decorating in the parish be done by the members of the parish.  Christmas decorations always went up on the afternoon of Advent IV except with Christmas Eve was Advent IV.  Then we would put the wreaths and the week before but not add the red ribbons.

5. Now that we are retired, we are beginning to decorate a bit more.  Today I will check out the outdoor lights.  I use white lights and put an wreath with purple ribbons.  In TX if you don't decorate your house, people think you are Muslim.  I don't remember what our Vietnamese neighbors do.  They are not Christian, but they don't speak English either.  The other side neighbors are Catholic but have enough of the endemic Baptist that comes in the water to already have their snowman (plastic) up.

My favorite Advent Hymn is Of the Father's Love Begotten.  Evermore and evermore.