Practical Advent Tips

Advent can be a great foundation for tradition building. I've been celebrating for years with close friends and hope to, one day, celebrate daily with my husband and children.

All you need is an Advent wreath and some time to gather together and even that is flexible. Setting aside time daily as an individual and then gathering with friends one to two times per week has worked out well for me.

There are all sorts of wreaths. Many types are available at your local Catholic Supply or on Amazon. I prefer the traditional three purple and one rose candle set-up, although I currently have all white candles because I couldn't find the colored candles at the right price.

For the prayers, ask your church if they have any traditions, if not, there are some great resources online. I use prayers from adapted from this site.

I also have enjoyed praying the daily offices out of Phyllis Tickle's book The Divine Hours. They are in sync with the traditional church calendar and geared towards advent throughout December.