There are four Sundays before Christmas, and the lead up to the holiday in the Catholic faith includes celebrating this with the tradition of Advent.  This is accompanied by an Advent wreath with candles, and each Sunday, a candle is lit to celebrate the time before Jesus’ birth.  I am not usually one to profess much religiosity in a public forum, but I find that it’s been too often that I have Catholic friends who are no longer celebrating with the Advent wreath.  In my formative years, my memories of Advent are truly some of the fondest memories that I have from the Christmas season.

I think taking time on Sunday evenings to reflect on the season and what the season truly represents is incredibly important in connecting with the basic values of Christmas: faith, hope, love, joy, gratitude, and the sophistication that simplicity can have.  Celebrating Advent each Sunday before Christmas with tea and Lebkuchen is a time for families to cherish being together and foster a shared love of the season.