Advent is About Traditions

"Traditions ~ pa dum dum...
Traditions ~ Traditions"
(Fiddler on the Roof)

Advent is full of family and cultural traditions.  The cultural ones tend to be about shopping and sales. But, there are many other traditions in our culture:  putting up lights, baking, Christmas trees, Santa, snowmen, angels, reindeer, and even penguins can get in there too.  The family ones can be secular but also spiritual.

Last night, four of us drove to Vasona Park's Festival of Lights in Los Gatos, CA.  It was beautiful!  Two years ago, ten of us rented a limo van and rode through Spanaway's Festival of Lights, WA.  It was also very beautiful. The displays were bright, had moving parts, funny, colorful, and secular...but still a fun time.  I love looking at Christmas lights.

It took me back to childhood as one of our traditions was driving to look at the Christmas lights. "Back then" many neighborhoods had themes with everyone decorating. I remember one, Candy Cane Lane but there were many others in the Seattle/Renton areas.  We would go to Lake Wilderness, Fairwood, Maple Valley, and end in West Seattle at Gai's fancy, fancy house.  (He was one of the "Gai's Breads'" brothers.) The evening was a peaceful, family time. A tradition.

As a child, our tree had an angel on the top and icicles hanging on most branches.  We used the large lighted bulbs and mostly round ornaments. Grandma sent us double fudge and fruit chews which Dad carried on after Grandma died. Mom always made divinity  and Spritz cookies. Our family would go to the Christmas Eve service in Rainier Beach area and see friends and relatives. I remember it feeling like a holy time of focusing on Jesus.  Then we would come home and open our gifts. (Santa's gifts were for Christmas morning.)

As an adult and mother, we continued many of the traditions except that we opened our gifts on Christmas morning.  Christmas Eve Candlelight service and a potluck with friends became the focus of the evening.  Christmas morning was a time for gifts, games, music, and cinnamon rolls.  The larger meal was in the afternoon.  The decorations changed a little:  a manger scene, small lights on the tree, different shaped ornaments, some snowmen, but still an angel on the top.  The icicles changed to ribbons. The tree had a theme: children, school, music, or angels. Giving to friends and family expanded to giving to single moms and/or the homeless.

From a child, to an adult, married, children, single, grown children, two years fighting breast cancer, and now living with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece, some things remain the same:  celebrating Jesus' entrance on earth. No matter what the traditions, this season is still a time for me - us - to reflect on our Lord.  No matter what the economics, we can celebrate His birth. No matter what the location, we can loudly celebrate His sacrifice. No matter what is happening around the world, we can still have peace, love, joy, and hope in our hearts. 

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them,

and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.

They were terrified,

but the angel reassured them.

“Don’t be afraid!” he said.

“I bring you good news

that will bring great joy to all people.

The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today

in Bethlehem, the city of David!

And you will recognize Him by this sign:

You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth,

lying in a manger.” 

Luke 2:9 - 12  NLT