Advent Verses
Isaiah 40:3A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
Matthew 3:1-2
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
The story of John's birth is told in Luke 1. An extra special reading today is Zechariah's song, beginning with verse 67.
Jesse Tree
1 Kings 18:39
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried,
"The LORD - He is God! The LORD - He is God!"
Today we discuss the story of Elijah and the prophets of baal. It is an exciting time for discussing God's miracles.
An ornament for today could be a drawing of fire. A hand made ornament could be a fire pit cut out of felt scraps.
To Explore
The beautiful Poinsettia!Also known as Euphorbia pulcherrima, this flowering plant's common name is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first United States Minister to Mexico. Joel Poinsett brought the plant to the US in 1828 but it was revered long before that by the Aztecs as a fever-reducer and as a red dye. It became associated with Christmas around the 16th century. I'll let you read the legend that led to this tradition here.
Christmas Around the World
Mexico!One of the most important dates on the Mexican Calendar is December 12th, known as the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. If you are interested in reading more about these beliefs, see here . Christmas festivities truly begin with the "Posadas". Beginning on December 16th and up to December 24th, the Posadas are processional reenactments of the journey of Mary and Joseph as they searched for an Inn. Families visit a different house every night, ending with a final fiesta. This fiesta comes afer midnight mass on Christmas Eve and includes a feast with family. Christmas Day is usually a much more quiet day. The tradition of giving gifts is relatively new in Mexico, but is catching on quickly. An excellent account of a Mexican Christmas can be found here.
To say Merry Christmas in Spanish, say "Feliz Navidad!"
Hands On
Create a beautiful paper poinsettiaCreate a tissue paper poinsettia mosaic
Poinsettia Activities
Try cooking Flan
Coloring Page
Make Churros!
Music
Feliz NavidadFor Lyrics, translation, and performance, you can visit this fun page...but be warned, it starts playing the song immediately upon opening.
