Erin Fox
How to have fun as a family during Advent
Advent is just around the corner and the first few weeks of December are such a busy and exciting time leading up to Christmas. There are many things to do during this festive season, so spend the next week planning how you’re going to celebrate and what you are going to do.
Advent and Christmas are about giving, so maybe you could donate toys or other gifts to the St Vincent de Paul to give to children and families who are struggling with money worries. Donate food to homeless shelters or collect money for charity by Christmas caroling with your family and friends. Bake some festive snowflake cookies to share with your family, friends, neighbours and classmates.
You could make your own Advent calendar, a homemade story book of the nativity or a Christmas crib for your home.
Make each Advent Sunday a special one by hosting a weekly Advent Sunday family quiz. Base each week’s quiz on the homily of that day; match the quotes to the correct readings and name the second hymn sung before Communion. Test your knowledge of Christmas carols by humming a verse to see who can guess which carol it belongs to. Throw in some bonus questions such as what are the names of the Three Wise Men.
Learn a prayer
Get everyone to learn a particular prayer off by heart to recite on the final quiz day. Make a scoreboard with your family’s names and cut out paper candles to use as points; whoever answers a question correctly earns one purple candle, or a pink candle for Rose Sunday. Have the final quiz on the fourth Sunday of Advent or on Christmas Eve if you prefer. Add up everyone’s points and then hand out prizes for first, second and third place. Include smaller prizes for other family members so that everyone is included in the fun!
Prizes included in the competition can be anything from a pair of rosary beads to a nativity colouring book, a book of carols, a Christmas-themed jigsaw.
Add another activity to your family Advent time and make the prizes for the final quiz; sew together a stocking with a nativity scene, craft a clothes peg angel or make an origami star.
