Advent is a special time for us to slow down and prepare our hearts to receive Christ. For Orthodox Christians, Advent begins November 15th. In this guide, I want to share the various resources available to help your family mark this season in your homes. Each family will take on their own unique traditions. The key is to do ONE thing, and build from there!

(1) Advent Wreath

One of my favorite Advent traditions is creating an Advent wreath. History of Advent wreaths : Advent wreaths first originated in Germany in 1830 and the story goes that Johann Hinrich Wichern (1808-81), a pastor in Germany, built a wreath out of an old cartwheel to help the children in his mission school count the days until Christmas. He added small candles to be lit every weekday and Saturday during Advent, and on Sundays, a large white candle was lit. Although it wasn’t widely popular until the 19th century, German immigrants then brought the tradition with them to America in the 20th century.

An Advent wreath is a wonderful tradition to bring to your home! Although it’s origins did not stem from Orthodox countries, we certainly sanctify everything we do! I like to call it the American contribution to Orthodoxy. A lit candle is a symbol of expectation and hope, especially poignant in the darkness of winter. The candles of the advent wreath can light our homes and warm our hearts as we look forward to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you’re unfamiliar with how to use an Advent Wreath, it is a circle of candles that are lit one at a time, increasing by one each week of Advent. There is a candle in the center that is lit on Christmas. The advent wreath is often surrounded by greenery. Every part of the advent wreath contains symbolism that points us back to Christ.

Here is how you set up an Advent Wreath:

Find a prominent place in our home that your family can easily see and gather near. This can be your kitchen table, home altar, or some other prominent place.
Setting up an Advent Wreath - when I first wrote this blogpost, there were no Orthodox Advent wreaths on the market. This year, much to my excitement, there are several options available. The basics of what you will need are 7 candles with holders (some holders have 8 candles to account for the times where there is an extra Sunday during Advent):
- Wooden Advent Wreath Kit through Draw Near Designs
- Brass Advent Wreath through Legacy Icons
- Cradle-to-Cross Wooden Wreath by The Keeping Company (includes extensions for 40 days)
- Create Your Own Orthodox Advent Wreath (see examples below)
- Beeswax Candles and Booklet available through Draw Near Designs

How to use an Advent Wreath:

Light one candle for each Sunday throughout Advent - On the first day of advent (November 15th), light the first candle. From then on, light one additional candle each Sunday, increasing by one each week. Some advents seasons contain only six Sundays, and some only five. If the 7th candle in the circle isn’t needed for a Sunday before Christmas, you can light that one on Christmas Eve. By Christmas Eve, every candle in the circle should be lit, and on the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, you light all of the candles, including the one in the center!
You should use an advent wreath in the way that best suits your family. Some people light the candle(s) every day during evening prayers, or light them and sing a hymn. Others prefer to just light them on Sundays and share the daily Bible readings together. You can also pair the readings from the Jesse Tree, or practice singing the hymn of the Nativity. There is no “right way” to use an Advent Wreath - just find the routine that benefits and blesses your family!
Watch this 1 minute tutorial on Instagram on how we used an Advent Wreath last year

(2) Advent Readings, Study and the Jesse Tree

The Antiochian Archdiocese publishes daily readings for each of the 40 days of the fast and the 12 days of Christmas. These are daily scripture readings that take us from Genesis all the way to the birth of Christ, showing us through the scriptures that all things point to Christ! In addition to the readings, some families create a tree with ornaments to use along side the readings. Here are some readings available:

Jesse Tree Daily Readings (updated link) through the Antiochian Archdiocese
Welcoming the Christ Child Book and Ornaments though Ancient Faith or Draw Near Designs
Jesse Tree Wall Hanging for Advent to pair with Welcoming the Christ Child Ornaments
Advent Wreath in an Orthodox Home Booklet only with weekly readings by Draw Near Designs
Orthodox Mom’s Advent study for both Adults and Children
Behold a Great Light: A Daily Devotional through Nativity Fast (NEW) from Ancient Faith
Meditations for Advent through Ancient Faith

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(3) Orthodox Advent Calendar

The marking of time has always been an important part of human existence. For children, this is especially important to help them “mark the time” as we journey through advent. Typical Western advent calendars have 25 days. Because the advent season is longer in Orthodoxy (beginning Nov 15th), you will need a 40 day advent calendar. There are a number of 40 day Advent calendars available now, which has been wonderful to see, or you can choose to create your own! This can be a wonderful way to countdown the days until Nativity with your children.

Fabric Advent Calendar by Draw Near Designs
40 Day Advent Countdown Cards by Draw Near Designs
Holly & Ivy Orthodox 40 day Advent Candle by Parousia Press
Holly & Ivy Orthodox Advent Activity Cards (Printable)
DIY Paper Chain for Advent

(4) Celebrate the Various Feast Days During the Fast

Celebrating the various feasts during the fast is a wonderful way to create traditions that your family will look forward to year after year! This is also a way to bring the life of the church in our homes. For my family, some of our most dear and favorite traditions happen during Advent:

St Martin of Tours (Nov 12th) - see my Martinmas Blogpost for how to celebrate this feast
Entrance of the Theotokos (Nov 21st) - check out Parousia Press on how to celebrate this feast
St Nicholas Day (Dec 6th) - see my St Nicholas Guide for how to celebrate this feast
St Spyridon (Dec 12th) - This is the turning point in the fast as we begin to fast more strictly.
St Lucia Day (Dec 13th) - see my St Lucia Guide for how to celebrate this feast
St Herman of Alaska (Dec 13th) - check out these Spruce Island Cookies for his feast
Nativity of Our Lord (Dec 25th) - check out Parousia Press on how to celebrate the Nativity and the 12 Days of Christmas

(5) Participating in the Fast

Important elements to any fasting period in the Orthodox Church is (1) Prayer, (2) Fasting, and (3) Almsgiving. Find ways for your family to participate in these three things in order to make this season fruitful and as a means for our salvation. Some ways to do this as a family: Attend services, pray together daily and read the scriptures, collect food for a homeless shelter, donate warm coats or blankets to those in need, and connect with your local parish for other opportunities to serve the needy around you.

Make a Plan

This time of year is very busy with all of the cultural things going on that it is easy to get burnt out. Or perhaps you’re like me and start off strong, but 2 weeks in you burn out, having taken on too much. It’s important for us to prepare ahead of time to help ensure we reach out family goals for how we want to spend this advent season. I found this podcast “Preparing for Advent” by Hannah Vasquez of All These Things Podcast very practical and insightful.

Another fantastic resource for making a plan is the Holly & Ivy Orthodox Advent Planners which are available for digital download or bound through Parousia Press.

Fasting

An essential part of every fasting period is the actual fast! As Orthodox Christians, we fast for more than half the year, giving up meat, dairy, eggs, and on strict fast days, giving up oil, wine and fish . By following the prescribed fast of the Church, we are working on our self control, and our hope is by abstaining from foods, we learn to also abstain from sinning. Of course, fasting is a spiritual discipline that should be practiced with the oversight and direction of your spiritual father and priest. You should consult your spiritual father if you have any specific questions about the fasting discipline as it applies to you, and your children. You can read more about the fasting here.

Parousia Press has a wonderful collection of resources for fasting which you can find here

As with all fasting, please remember that abstaining from food during this period of preparation does us no good if we do not also, as St. John Chrysostom teaches us, fast with:

… the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands and all the members of our bodies.

Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice.
Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin.
Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful.
Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip.
Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism.
For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers?
-St John Chrysostom

Additional Resources for Kids

Activities : For kids activities, I cannot recommend Orthodox Pebbles enough! They have wonderful teaching resources that are easy to do with your kids and have lesson plans attached. On their website there are many free resources. They also have products available for purchase through Draw Near Designs:

Music : for families with kids, we love Gigi Baba Shadid! She is an Orthodox Priest wife and she creates very catchy music for kids to help them learn about our faith. Her CD “Celebrate the Feasts” would be a good one to start with this season since it has a number of songs about Nativity. You can also find her songs on Youtube and Spotify.

Final Thoughts

Lastly, as a reminder, none of these items I mentioned above are necessary. We have collected items over the years and each year we add one new thing to our collection. Also, we choose one or two advent traditions to focus on each year. I don’t usually do them all! My hope is to provide you with many ideas and ways to participate in the Nativity fast, finding what works best for your family. However, keeping our focus on (1) prayer, (2) fasting, (3) almsgiving, and (4) attending Divine Services is the best place to start!

Be sure to follow along with me on Instagram for more Feast Day resources and Nativity activities! I pray you have a joyous and peaceful Nativity Fast!

Kh Destinie

"...Our lights shine bright on St. Martin's night!..."

While at seminary at St Vladimir’s in Yonkers, NY, we were introduced to Martinmas (St Martin’s Day) the day we commemorate the life of St Martin of Tours. To this day it is one of my fondest memories of seminary. I loved making paper lanterns together the week before, and then on his feast day, we would gather together to read the story “Snow on Martinmas” by Heather Sleigtholm and then all the kids on campus would illuminate their lanterns with tea lights and put on their heavy coats and we would walk around singing the St Martin Day carol and “This Little Light of Mine” to all the neighbors. I can still see my tiny little Elizabeth in her stroller holding her lantern as we followed all the kids from home to home. After we made our way around campus, we ended the night with dessert and warm drinks and fellowship. It was a yearly tradition while we attended and I intend to continue that tradition with my children, and perhaps even pass it on to some of you!

Martinmas Tradition Throughout the World:

For centuries, Christians from Estonia to Spain, Sweden to Italy, have commemorated the soldier who shared his wealth with the poor. In Germany, children make lanterns and parade through the streets, singing songs. The lanterns shining in the dark are often interpreted as symbolizing the light of Christ, a particularly appropriate image for the beginning of the Nativity Fast. Traditionally the lanterns were carved out of newly harvested squash gourds, and illuminated with a candle—the origin of our jack-o-lantern—but can also be made of paper or jars. St Martin is a beloved Saint celebrated throughout the world and is known for his merciful compassion on the needy. St. Martin's Day is celebrated on November 11th in the West and November 12th in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

How to Organize a Martinmas Lantern Walk:

(1) Choose a time and location and invite friends to join you! Either plan to make the lanterns together or plan to bring your own to the walk. After each Martinmas walk, we organized a dessert potluck and warm beverages like hot chocolate and hot cider, so be sure to coordinate your fellowship time afterwards too! St. Martin's Day is celebrated on November 11th in the West and November 12th in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

(2) Create a lantern! You can plan to make your own DIY lanterns using a recycled jar, paper, contact paper, or brown paper bag (see Pinterest for tons of ideas). We’ve made ours both with the paper machete/balloon method and we’ve done them with decorated mason jars. The possibilities are endless! just make sure you have a handle (either string or stick) and a tea light to go with it. Again, we’ve done real candles and electric ones in the past.

(3) Read the story of his life - We love “Snow on Martinmas” by Heather Sleightholm but you can also listen to "Saint Martin of Tours" from Saints: Lives and Illuminations, written by Ruth Sanderson, on the podcast “Reading from Under the Grapevine through Ancient Faith. Check out the November Printable featuring St Martin.

(4) Print and Distribute the song document (you can print it up from HERE) - During the walk, we would sing the “Saint Martin’s Day Song (Rabimmel, Rabammel, Rabumm)” and “This little light of mine” as we walked around. My fellow seminarian wife, Alisha Solheim, generously created this document last year (God Bless You) so now I can share it with you! You can listen to it in German for the tune HERE and find the lyrics translated into English HERE.

(5) Grab your coats and lanterns and tea lights and walk around to your neighbors caroling, alternating between “St Martin’s Day song” and “This little light of mine”. End your night with warm drinks and desserts and fellowship with one another.

(6) Consider donating warm coats/jackets to a local shelter in remembrance of St Martin. If you remember from his story, he saw a beggar shivering at the gates of Amiens, and he cut his cloak in two and gave the half to the beggar. Later that night, Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him wearing St Martin’s cloak. He is the perfect example of Matthew 25:40-45 “I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

Story of St Martin, Bishop of Tours

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Saint Martin the Merciful, Bishop of Tours, was born at Sabaria (modern Hungary) in 316. Since his father was a Roman officer, he also was obliged to serve in the army. Martin did so unwillingly, for he considered himself a soldier of Christ, though he was still a catechumen.

At the gates of Amiens, he saw a beggar shivering in the severe winter cold, so he cut his cloak in two and gave half to the beggar. That night, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the saint wearing Martin’s cloak. He heard the Savior say to the angels surrounding Him, “Martin is only a catechumen, but he has clothed Me with this garment.” The saint was baptized soon after this, and reluctantly remained in the army.

Two years later, the barbarians invaded Gaul and Martin asked permission to resign his commission for religious reasons. The commander charged him with cowardice. Saint Martin demonstrated his courage by offering to stand unarmed in the front line of battle, trusting in the power of the Cross to protect him. The next day, the barbarians surrendered without a fight, and Martin was allowed to leave the army.

He traveled to various places during the next few years, spending some time as a hermit on an island off Italy. He became friendly with Saint Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers (January 14), who made Martin an exorcist. After several years of the ascetic life, Saint Martin was chosen to be Bishop of Tours in 371. As bishop, Saint Martin did not give up his monastic life, and the place where he settled outside Tours became a monastery. In fact, he is regarded as the founder of monasticism in France. He conversed with angels, and had visions of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29) and of other saints. He is called the Merciful because of his generosity and care for the poor, and he received the grace to work miracles.

After a life of devoted service to Christ and His Church, the saint fell ill at Candes, a village in his diocese, where he died on November 8, 397. He was buried three days later (his present Feast) at Tours. During the Middle Ages, many Western churches were dedicated to Saint Martin, including Saint Martin’s in Canterbury, and Saint Martin-in-the-Fields in London.

In 1008, a cathedral was built at Tours over the relics of Saint Martin. This cathedral was destroyed in 1793 during the French Revolution, together with the relics of Saint Martin and Saint Gregory of Tours (November 17). A new cathedral was built on the site many years later. Some fragments of the relics of Saint Martin were recovered and placed in the cathedral, but nothing remains of Saint Gregory’s relics.

Saint Martin’s name appears on many Greek and Russian calendars. His commemoration on October 12 in the Russian calendar appears to be an error, since ancient sources give the November date.

Published by OCA.org

St Martin’s Day Song

Here is the St Martin’s Day Song Sheet that my fellow seminarian wife, Alisha Solheim, generously created last year (God Bless You) so now I can share it with you! You can print the document HERE. You can listen to it in German for the tune HERE and find the lyrics translated into English HERE. During the walk, we would sing the “Saint Martin’s Day Song (Rabimmel, Rabammel, Rabumm)” and “This little light of mine” as we walked around.

I have such fond memories of our time at Seminary in New York, celebrating St Martin’s Day with the community. I hope to share this traditions with others so that perhaps it can be something you can enjoy with your children and communities as well, as a way to bring Christ into your homes through these fun and edifying traditions. I hope you have a fun, memorable, and enriching celebration!

-Khouria Destinie