Hello Jaguars!
It’s almost Christmas. So let’s learn about Advent and the traditions of Christmas. The celebration of Advent is set to represent a Christian season of joyful anticipation and symbolize the coming of Christ. The word “advent” comes from the Latin word “coming.” We light four candles during Advent; the four candles represent the 4 Sundays before Christmas Day. The candles are lit to symbolize how Jesus is the light of the world. There are three violet candles and one rose candle. The violet candles are lit each week in the first week, second week, and fourth week. The rose candle is lit on the third week. Each week represents a new virtue we practice as Christians. The first week's violet candle represents hope. The second week’s violet candle is for peace. The third week’s rose candle symbolizes joy. The final purple candle represents love. Lastly, the evergreen of the wreath stands for life and is in honor of the eternal life that God promises us. Each day with the lighting of the candle, there is a special prayer to be recited. We interviewed three different age groups on their favorite thing about Christmas and the different traditions their families do. The elementary schooler said her favorite thing about Christmas is the gifts she receives from family and friends. Her tradition is she goes over to her grandparents' house, and instead of a fancy Christmas dinner, like most families do, they eat pizza. The middle schooler said his favorite thing about Christmas is giving to others, whether it’s in the form of volunteering or donation. His family tradition is to have a meal with his grandparents. Lastly, the junior high student said her favorite thing about Christmas is spending genuine time with family and hot chocolate. Her tradition is every Christmas Eve, all her family drinks hot chocolate before bed. Thank you to Grace Goben, Connor Boemecke, Chase Randazzo, and Emma Parker for sharing an interview with us!
By: Hadley Healy