With Thanksgiving a week behind us and the days to Christmas being eagerly counted down, it seems many of our thoughts automatically turn to shopping, baking and planning for family get-togethers, parties with friends and other holiday festivities.

With all the busyness surrounding us, it is difficult, at best, to really prepare ourselves for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Because of the hustle-bustle, my family often leaves the decorating to the week or so before Christmas and find ourselves out of the house more that we are in. However, there is one tradition we make an effort to observe as much as possible from the Sunday after Thanksgiving through Christmas: Advent.

Even though the boughs have not been hung on the bannisters and the lights are not outlining the contours of our house, we make sure the Advent wreath has been unpacked, the one pink and three purple candles have been purchased and all have been placed in the center of our living room coffee table.

This has always seemed like a real treat for our youngest, who is now 11. He especially likes taking his turn lighting the candles and seems a little sad when our it’s time to throw away the candle stubs and wrap the wreath in tissue paper to pack it away for another year.

Some nights the coffee table may be full of magazines, that day’s mail, drink coasters or even a discarded odd sock. But the wreath is still the center of attention.

The wreath we are using now is made of pewter and has images of the Jesse Tree. The wreath came with a devotional booklet that describes each symbol and its significance to the Christmas story. Since our kids were rather young when we bought the wreath, it was a great teaching tool.

We take more time with our evening prayers during Advent. Before our devotions begin, one of the kids will light the appropriate candle or candles, another reads that day’s Scriptures and we end with a reflection either from the “Little Blue Book” or another Advent devotional.

It may take just 10 or 15 minutes each evening, but this practice has infinite value in keeping us focused on the true meaning of our holiday season.

Our family and the Catholic Chronicle family wish you and yours a joyous Christmas season and a very happy new year.