The days are shorter, the nights are colder, and the leaves on the deciduous trees have fallen. We are headed toward winter, a time of deep rest, a time of projects, a time of wonder at snow and lights and the beautiful winter sky with the skeletons of trees etched against the horizon.
I love the anticipation of a cozy, candlelit December. We are coming into the month of December, a month of anticipation and preparation in the Christian Calendar but also a month of cozy anticipation for many as winter arrives. We can set up a seasonal table with snow white and pink silks, crystals of quartz and amethyst, glass vases, paper snowflakes or an beautiful Advent tableau with a dark blue silk with candles and gold paper stars. The traditional Advent wreath can come out.
We are moving from a time of mourning and remembering our ancestors, the saints, those who have gone before us to passing through the winter to a new year and a new path. We are preparing for what is to come. What are the deepest longings of your heart for the coming year?
Advent can be a time of fasting and preparing and contemplating for this new beginning. I have already chosen my word of the year for 2024 (for more on that tradition, see back posts)..I think this is going to be a restorative year, so I chose the word CREATE. I will have one child finishing college this year in December, another child who is now living on her own many states away, another child beginning high school in the fall of 2024, and we will have been on our farm for three years in the spring. I have also dealt with a major life threatening health challenge this year and treatments are wrapping up, so I think 2024 is going to be an amazing year for renewal and restoration for myself and my family and also for creating all kinds of things to help others. I am looking forward to this so much.
This post talks Advent from a Waldorf perspective. If you are from another faith tradition and are blogging about this month, please leave a link to your blog below so my readers can find you! I am Christian and therefore can only write from the perspective of our life, but so appreciate other perspectives. One thing I am thinking strongly about is how we as a family make a very conscious effort to slow down, not speed up, this holiday season. You can see my contemplation about that in this post about the simple holiday season. and this post which holds answers to parents’ holiday questions.
Here are some things we are celebrating this month:
December 3- First Sunday in Advent
December 6 – St. Nicholas Day –please do see Christine Natale’s tremendous post here St. Nicholas Day and starting new holiday traditions and favorite stories for St. Nicholas
December 10 – Second Sunday in Advent
December 13 – Santa Lucia Day
December 17 – Third Sunday in Advent
December 24- Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 24- Eve of the Nativity
December 25 – Feast of the Nativity, and the first day of the Twelve Days of Christmas – there are many back posts on the Twelve Days of Christmas if you search under “Family Life” and “festivals” or use the blog’s search engine.
The Twelve Days of Christmas, December 25- January 6th
Our traditions include walking an Advent Spiral, crafting and baking. If you need gift ideas for this season, please see last minute gifts to make and more last minute gifts to make. There are many wonderful ideas our readers submitted as well in the comment sections.
I would love to hear from you – what holiday traditions are you creating, what are your goals for the next year, what are doing with your homeschooling. I can’t wait to learn from you all and create with you!
Blessings and love,
Carrie
The Parenting Passageway 
Dear Carrie and Friends,
Some of the links in the older posts are no longer working. I have created a blog post with all (or most at least) of my Advent and Christmas links. Most are pdf files in Dropbox and are public. You should be able to access and download them. Please feel free to e-mail me at Golden3000997@cs.com if you have any difficulty.
https://threefoldwaldorf.blogspot.com/2023/11/grandmother-christmas-advent-links-to.html
Blessings to you all for the Holy Season and 2024!
Grandmother Christmas
Thank you so much for this! Blessings to you this season! Love, Carrie
This is such a great roundup of links! I couldn’t post on your blog directly because I don’t have a blogger account, but I’m saving your blog post with these great ideas to digest during my prep time this week!
Hi Emily!
Your comment showed up! I just have to approve all the comments so sometimes I am a little behind.
Many blessings to you this holiday season!
Blessings,
Carrie
Hi, Carrie,
I’m so glad you’re wrapping up treatments for your health issues!
We normally are excited to begin preparing for the Christmas season, but I’ll be getting hip surgery soon, so it’ll be a quiet Christmas this year… We were hoping to have a more lively celebration, as last year I had just had a baby around Christmas, but the Lord has other plans, I suppose!
Our homeschooling is moving forward, but looks a little different than I’d hoped. I was diagnosed with a vestibular disorder which is making every day extremely difficult. I’m trying to plan my own things as much as possible, but it’s feeling strained. We’ll see how the rest of the year plays out, but might not be as tailored as I’d hoped.
Thank you for your posts. I read them all when I can. You’re a wealth of information and encouragement!
—Kelsey
Kelsey-
Sending you love for your hip surgery and all the positive thoughts for a speedy recovery. Vestibular challenges are exhausting and I hope that also heals. Rest, and nourish. The new year with its new beginnings is coming.
Blessings,
Carrie
This is lovely. Thank you for sharing all of these great ideas and resources!
Praying for continued healing as your treatments wrap up, Carrie! Love and appreciate you.
This is our families’ favorite season, and we are planning fun traditions and activities to do this year. We love going to see holiday lights, taking horse-drawn carriage rides with family in a downtown close by, seeing Santa come by on our local fire truck every year, and lighting candles on our advent spiral at dinner every night leading up to Christmas. Watching the awe and amazement in the eyes of my 6yo and 19mo this year fills my heart with so much joy. It makes me feel childlike again.
I’m preparing to do Grade 1 with my oldest child next Fall. Closing the chapter on my side-hustle business this month, so I can give more attention to homeschooling. One of my goals is to get a good, consistent rhythm going for us to “sit into” during the spring that will help us through the transition when we add main lessons in the fall. I’m excited for the year ahead, but a little nervous about what it will look like with a 2 year old at my feet (or lap) as I work with my very strong-willed soon-to-be 7yo. 🙂
I think 2024 will be a huge year of learning for myself, and I’m excited to soak in everything I can.
Melissa
First grade is so exciting! I am so glad you are having fun with it – it’s going to be amazing. ❤
Thank you for your kind wishes and happy holidays!
Blessings and love, Carrie