Celebrating Advent at Home

The Waldorf Advent Festival

Seasonal festivals serve to connect humanity with the rhythms of nature. For children, these festivals mark the seasons with joy and anticipation for preparing for these celebrations.
 
No matter what your faith, this is a guide to celebrating Advent.
 
Advent takes place on the four Sundays that lead up to Christmas. Many people celebrate Advent and do not celebrate Christmas at all. The two need not be linked. 

What is Advent?

Advent is about the spirit of peace, warmth, light, and gentle preparation. Although associated with Christianity, Advent was celebrated initially by Pagan communities to honour the weeks leading up to the Winter Solstice. The winter holiday season, in most of the major religions, shares the theme of bringing light and warmth into the dark, and this is expressed by physically lighting up the darkness with candles and holiday lights, as well as by sharing the light of company, family, food, and traditions of giving. In what can often be a stressful time of year for families, Advent offers a slower, kinder rhythm and an inwardly richer view.​
 
​In your family, you can use the traditions of Advent, whether its meaning is bringing light and warmth or also in anticipation of Christmas

How can you celebrate Advent at home?

Advent Themes

In Waldorf education, each week of Advent is assigned a "theme" providing opportunities for spiritual reflection, storytelling, crafting, and creating a beautiful Advent table that evolves week by week.

Week 1: The Mineral Kingdom - Stones, crystals, and the Earth itself
Week 2: The Plant Kingdom - Trees, flowers, and all growing things
Week 3: The Animal Kingdom - Creatures large and small
Week 4: Humanity - The human spirit and the anticipation of Christmas
 
Waldorf/Steiner Verse for Advent

(Beginning the first week, you speak the first two lines, then the second week, you build upon the first by saying the first two lines and adding the next two, etc. By the fourth week, you are saying all four verses).
 
The first light of Advent is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.
 
The second light of Advent is the light of plants.
Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.
 
The third light of Advent is the light of beasts.
The light of hope that we see, in the greatest and the least.
 
The fourth light of Advent is the human light.
The light of hope and of thought, to know and do what's right.​

Advent Table

The Advent table, like a nature table, is versatile and can be adapted to your family's traditions. It provides a reverent space to add to each week. For some families, this is a traditional nativity scene. Include evergreen boughs and four candles, which you will light each week as you recite your Advent verse.

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A simple first step to bringing Advent to your family could be to light a candle each night (or once a week on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas) and say the verse lines for that week.

If you want to take it a step further, we've provided ideas for celebrating each week of Advent, including story suggestions, craft ideas, and suggestions for what to add to your Advent table, focusing on that week's theme. ​

Week 1:  Honouring the Mineral Kingdom

Advent Table:

• ​Add stones, crystals, sand, seashells or crafted stars. 
• For traditional Nativity scene: Add a path of gems
• Lighting Ritual: On the first Sunday of Advent, light the first candle, then recite the first part of the Advent verse and/or the first part of the Advent song.

​Advent Verse Week 1:

​The first light of Advent is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.

Advent Song Week 1:
Hear the tune

I light a candle
On the wreath
All made of holly green

For rocks and bones
And shiny stones
One candle now is seen

Wait in darkest night
The winter light
And upon the bows of green

Our hopes arise
With every flame
One candle now is seen

Story Ideas:
(Find stories that relate to the week's theme of celebrating the mineral kingdom)

• Traditional Tale: Mary, Joseph on the road to Bethlehem
• ​The Star Child

Craft Ideas:
(these relate to the theme and can be added to your Advent table throughout the week)

• Waldorf Window Stars
• Paper Star Lanterns
• God's Eyes (woven stars)
• Felted Stones
• Grow Crystals

Saint Nicholas Day
St. Nicholas Day is December 6th, after the first week of Advent. St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, encourages generosity, kindness and the idea that it is better to give than receive. Please read more about it HERE if you wish to bring this part of Advent to your family.

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Week 2: Honouring the Plant Kingdom

Advent Table:

• Add greenery such as pine boughs, ivy or holly. Place sprigs of herbs like rosemary or lavender. Add treasures from nature that you might find on a nature walk.
• For a traditional nativity scene add a path of greenery.
• Lighting Ritual: On the second Sunday, light the first and second candles while reciting the Advent verse or Advent song.

Advent Verse Week 2:

The first light of Advent is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.
 
The second light of Advent is the light of plants.
Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.

Advent Song Week 2:
Hear the tune

I light a candle
On the wreath
All made of holly green

For grass and grain
And silver rain
Two candles now are seen

Wait in darkest night
The winter light
And upon the bows of green

Our hopes arise
With every flame
Two candles now are seen

Story Ideas:
(Find stories that relate to the week's theme of celebrating the plant kingdom)

• Traditional Tales: Continue the journey of Mary and Joesph
• The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Anderson

Craft Ideas:
(these relate to the theme and can be added to your Advent table throughout the week)

• Walnut Shell Boats
• Felted Acorns
• Mushroom Garlands
• Beeswax Leaves

Saint Nicholas Day
After the second week of Advent, the Celebration of Santa Lucia, also known as the festival of lights, happens. Traditionally, a young woman would represent Santa Lucia, and on the morning of December 13th, wearing a white dress with a red sash and a wreath on her head with seven candles upon it, she would go from house to house bringing baked goods. The candles of her headpiece brought a welcoming light to the darkest time of year. You can read more about it HERE

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Week 3: The Animal Kingdom

Advent Table:

• Add figurines such as lambs, birds or deer. Include wool, feathers or treasures from nature walks such as snail shells or bug wings.
• Traditional Nativity Scene: Add the animals in the stable.
• Lighting Ritual: On the third Sunday, light the first second and third candles and recite your Advent Verse or sing your Advent song.

Advent Verse Week 3:

The first light of Advent is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.
 
The second light of Advent is the light of plants.
Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.
 
The third light of Advent is the light of beasts.
The light of hope that we see, in the greatest and the least.

Advent Song Week 3:
Hear the tune

I light a candle
On the wreath
All made of holly green

That beast and bird
Hear kindly word
Three candles now are seen

Wait in darkest night
The winter light
And upon the bows of green

Our hopes arise
With every flame
Three candles now are seen

Story Ideas:
(Find stories that relate to the week's theme of celebrating the animal kingdom)

• Traditional Tales: Continue the story of Mary and Joseph
• Animal Fables

Craft Ideas:
(these relate to the theme and can be added to your Advent table throughout the week)

• Pine Cone Bird Feeders
• Snail Seed Mosaics
• Felted Owls
• Pine Cone Animals

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Week 4: Humanity

Advent Table:

• Add human figures and include elements that reflect human craftsmanship, such as wooden carvings or handwoven cloth.
• Traditional Nativity Scene: Add the Shepherds and angels approaching the stable with their gifts. (Mary, Joseph and Jesus will be added on Christmas day).
• Lighting Ritual: Light all four candles and recite the Advent verse or sing the Advent song.

Advent Verse Week 4:

​The first light of Advent is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.
 
The second light of Advent is the light of plants.
Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.
 
The third light of Advent is the light of beasts.
The light of hope that we see, in the greatest and the least.
 
The fourth light of Advent is the human light.
The light of hope and of thought, to know and do what's right.​

Advent Song Week 4:
Hear the tune

I light a candle
On the wreath
All made of holly green

That every heart
May light impart
Four candles now are seen

Wait in darkest night
The winter light
And upon the bows of green

Our hopes arise
With every flame
Four candles now are seen

Story Ideas: 
(Story themes should celebrate the gifts of all the kingdoms that have come before and recognize the light we can offer as human beings)

• Traditional Tale: Follow the story of Mary and Joseph to completion
• The Gifts of the Magi by O Henry

Craft Ideas:
(This week's craft focus can relate to the theme and also encompass things people will enjoy at Christmas)

• Felt Gnomes
• Wool Roving Angel
• Homemade Christmas Crackers
• Paper Chain Family

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Advent Spiral

The gift of the light
We shall thankfully take
But it shall not be alone for our sake.
The more we give light,
The one to the other,
It grows and gives light,
And shines even farther.
Until every heart,
By love set aflame
In every place
Great joy shall proclaim.
Not long shall continue the darkness of year.
The light draws near.

The Advent Spiral happens on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. Cedar boughs (a symbol of life everlasting) are placed in a spiral forming a path in a darkened room. In the centre of the spiral, there is a large lit candle. With an unlit candle in hand, children and parents take turns walking the path in silence to the centre, where they light their candle and then place it with care along the path as they slowly exit the spiral. As more and more candles are lit, their gentle light begins to glow with the warmth of your family. The reverence of children and parents makes this traditional event one of inspiration and harmony. We are nearing the end of our journey through the darkness, internally and externally, and the light will soon return. This light will bring the promise of a new year that we will approach with a renewed sense of self and emerge from the darkness transformed.

There are so many ways to celebrate Advent and count down to Christmas. Here are a few we found, but you could easily do some more research and find something that would work for your family.

• Here is a beautiful idea for a handmade felted spiral.
• Here is an advent spiral felt kit from MapleRose.
• Here is a tutorial for making a salt dough advent spiral for your table.
• You could order an Advent Calendar from Art Makes Sense. 
• You could read The Parenting Passageway for lots of great ideas and a more in-depth history of Advent.
• You could read this blog post from the Online Waldorf Library.
• Or this post from The Magic Onions.
• And of course, Pinterest is always an excellent resource for, well, everything!
• You could make this simple advent calendar:

"I carry a light within me
A brightly burning flame.
Though dark may try to win me
It ever shines the same.
It guides me through uncertainty
It warms the wintry weather.
And brings to every burden
The lightness of a feather."

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