“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart.” (Psalm 27:14)  In the midst of preparations and decorations for Christmas, some small and simple practices remind me that Advent is now; Christmas is still twenty-five days away. Here are some things I like to do.

• Refrain from red and green for now and highlight purple and blue in the house. These colors act as stoplights and tell me to slow down and wait. Purple represents penitence, royalty, and of exceptional value. Blue represents hope, expectancy, and the image of Mary. I like the symbolism of both colors, so I often mix and match purple and blue.

• Add Advent words to the Christmas tree each day. Write an Advent word on a piece of paper or on a luggage/merchandise tag. Spend some time with the word by “decorating” it–adding lines, arcs, dots, zigzags, color…. Use clothespins or string to attach the word to the tree.  An Advent word a day on a paper chain is another way to create an Advent tree. (3 loops with the word on the middle loop?)
  
•  Buy a Norfolk Island Pine and hang purple or blue lights on it. This becomes the designated Advent tree where I add a word a day. Many grocery store and big-box home and garden stores carry Norfolk Island Pines.
  
• .Improvise an Advent wreath. The metal and styrofoam rings are a huge frustration for me. Instead, I use four candlestick holders and candles and place them randomly on the table. Then I add ribbon, paper chains, pine cones, dried flowers or greenery. If I have fresh greenery, I put the candles and the greens on a large plate or tray and add just another water to keep the greens fresh.
• Plant some paperwhite narcissus or amaryllis bulbs. Watch them grow on a daily basis, a living Advent calendar.