2022 Advent Parish Events

'Bambinelli Sunday'

A great tradition to start during the Advent season  is preparing your Nativity Set with the exception of Baby Jesus.

A Nativity set that is (temporarily) missing the Baby Jesus is a good reminder that it’s not quite Christmas yet!

St. John Paul II started the tradition of “Bambinelli Sunday”, where he encouraged children to bring their baby Jesus from their family’s nativity set to St. Peter’s square for a special papal blessing. The children then place their baby Jesus figurine under the Christmas tree until Christmas morning (when He then rejoins the Nativity set). Pope Francis continues this tradition today.

CATHOLIC ADVENT TRADITIONS

The Empty Manger: Each child may have his own individual manger, or there may be one manger for the whole family. The idea is that when acts of service, sacrifice, or kindness are done in honor of Baby Jesus as a birthday present, the child receives a piece of straw to put into the manger. Then, on Christmas morning, Baby Jesus is placed in the manger. Encourage your children to make Jesus bed as comfortable as possible through their good deeds. In the process, explain Christ's incomparable self-gift at Christmas and Easter that enables us to be part of God's family.

 

The Jesse Tree:  The Jesse tree tells about Christ's ancestry through symbols and relates Scripture to salvation history, progressing from creation to the birth of Christ. The tree can be made on a poster board with the symbols glued on, or on an actual tree. For further information read, Advent and Christmas in a Catholic Home.

 

St. Nicholas Day:  The feast of Saint Nicholas is on December 6. It is a highlight of the Advent season. Each child puts out a shoe the night before St. Nicholas Day in the hope that the kind bishop with his miter, staff, and bag of gifts will pay a visit. The current Santa Claus is modeled after St. Nicholas, but commercialism has tarnished the true story. Many families give gifts on both December 6 and Christmas. Read about Saint Nicholas in your favorite saints book.