"As winter approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, there is a growing mood of the outer sleepiness of the world. Through the stories, poems, and songs we bring, and their own observation of nature, the children can experience settling down, a feeling of being blanketed for a winter’s nap. The fallen leaves, the animals in hibernation, and the shorter daylight hours which bring us inside much earlier (even in California) than at other times of the year all contribute to this experience. Advent balances the darkness and sleepiness with expectation and anticipation. It is a time of moving through the darkness toward the yearly rebirth of the light when the days begin to grow longer. Advent is a four–week festival, the four weeks leading up to Christmas and Solstice, starting on a Sunday evening. Many religions celebrate festivals of the return of the light.
Among those festivals are Advent (click here), Solstice (click here), Saint Lucia (click here), Chanukah (click here), Christmas (click here), and Divali (click here).During Advent, we can deepen our relationship with the world around us by recognizing the strength and beauty in all four kingdoms of the natural world. The first week is related to the mineral kingdom, the physical foundation for life. The mineral world gives us a fixed stage, a basis for our ever-changing existence. Without the mineral world, we would have no ground to stand on. The second week focuses on the plant kingdom from which we receive nourishment from living forces. Earth, rain, light, and warmth create a balance of growth and decay. The plant world has a life that distinguishes it from the mineral world. It is life itself that human beings share with plants. The third week focuses on the kingdom of beasts. We share our capacity for movement and feelings with the animal kingdom. In this week of Advent, we are reminded of our relationship with the birds, beasts, and other members of the animal kingdom and how they reflect our most basic soul states. The fourth week of Advent speaks of the human being. All the kingdoms of nature contribute to our existence. We all have mineral, plant, and animal aspects surrounding and supporting the flame of our individual human spirit, this flame that is the essence of what it is to be human. Advent can move us toward a deeper understanding of our place in the universe, of all that supports us and all that we aspire to, as well as all that needs our protection and support. There are so many levels that one could consider. The weeks can also be connected with the four bodies of the human being, the four major organs, and so on.
In kindergarten, Advent can be celebrated very simply. On the first day, I put one gold star above the nature table on the wall. And each successive day I add another star. Additionally, I set four candles on the nature table. The first week, I light just one of them for a verse at the end of Ring Time. The second week, two candles, and so on. The verse I use follows:
The gift of light we thankfully take
But not shall it be alone for our sake
The more we give light
The one to the other
It shines and it spreads and it glows still further
Until every spark by friends set aflame
Until every heart with joy to proclaim
In the depths of our souls a shining sun glows."
THE ADVENT
Advent is a Latin word that derives from a come, and that means arrival, coming, and beginning. It is the time of waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of the Child Jesus.
Advent does not have a fixed date, it begins four Sundays before Christmas Day. If Christmas falls on a Sunday, that will also be the 4th Sunday of Advent.
Advent wreath:
To mark the passage of this period, as well as to seek ways to cultivate silence, prayer, and family reflection in these days that precede the celebration of the birth of the Child Jesus, an Advent Wreath can be made.
With branches of some pine or cypress, a circular wreath is made where four candles arranged symmetrically are attached or supported. You can decorate the wreath with ribbons and seeds. The candles can be all of the same color or the colors blue (representing the mineral kingdom), green (vegetable kingdom), yellow (animal kingdom), and red (human kingdom).
On the first Sunday of Advent, one candle is lit, on the second, two, and so on. If the candles are colored, light them in the following order: blue, green, yellow, and red. A small family ceremony is held every Sunday, or every day of Advent, by lighting the candle(s) corresponding to that week. In this ceremony, it is recommended to sing Christmas songs, tell stories, and read passages from the Bible related to this time of year, making the moment meaningful.
Advent Calendar:
Another tradition of this time is the Advent Calendar, in which children can “see” the passage of days until the arrival of Christmas. There are many ways to build it. A painting can be made in which 24 small windows are seen and that will be opened one each day until Christmas, and each day a surprise, a small Christmas motif discovered. Or else, you can use a Christmas drawing that occupies an entire card and also open windows in what would be the “sky” of the drawing, each day child opens a small window and discovers a hidden golden star. And yet, with walnut shells or decorated matchboxes, beautiful calendars can be made, in which each day of Advent a box or shell is opened and a surprise is discovered, until the arrival of Christmas.
Do you want to know more about Advent? The RSSAA Lower School Library has some books for you to check out: Advent (click here)
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