The fiery hues of the leaves, the scent of pumpkin and spice, and the decorations coming up all around the neighborhood fills us with anticipation for the Christmas holidays\u2014but sometimes it can also come with a sense of dread. Don\u2019t get me wrong; I don\u2019t dread Christmas. I only dread the pressure for commercialism and consumerism that it tends to bring. <\/p>
The good news is, we can reclaim the wonder of Christmas for our families! One of the ways that we can do that is by setting some time off to pause and contemplate on its true meaning. This is where advent calendars and advent books come in. <\/p>
Advent is the season of waiting for the coming of Jesus, both His first coming at his birth, and his promised second coming. As part of the Christian liturgical calendar, it occurs on the last Sunday of November, and covers the approximately four weeks until Christmas Day. That means that every year, the date it starts can be different. <\/p>
In order to help families look forward to Christmas in a tangible way, advent calendars came about. They come in all shapes and sizes: some come with little windows you can open with each day that comes, others have little gifts for each day. <\/p>
(If you would like a free downloadable Advent Calendar, we have a free printable Advent Calendar<\/a> Template PDF here for you, as a companion to our very own Promises Fulfilled: An Advent Journey<\/a><\/em> book, or even as a companion for any other advent book you may already have on hand.)\u00a0<\/p> Advent books are a form of advent calendars, but instead of just a sheet of paper where you contemplate on specific symbols or items, it contains a daily devotional that you can read, either individually or with your family. Sometimes they can even include discussion prompts, a craft activity, or any other add-on to make your experience going towards Christmas a memorable time. <\/p> Some families put up a Jesse Tree as part of celebrating advent. The phrase is taken from the book of Isaiah in the Bible, which describes the coming Messiah as coming from \u201cthe stump of Jesse.\u201d This is why many advent books go through Jesus\u2019 family tree, or the Jesse Tree, as a way of preparing for His coming. <\/p> To help you find an advent book you can use this year, whether or not you\u2019ve tried it before, here are some of our top picks:<\/p>Best Advent Books You Can Use <\/strong><\/h2>
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp <\/strong><\/h3>