With the spirit of the holidays rushing in, there are many things to celebrate besides the gifts under the tree. While Christmas tends to be the main focus of the holidays, it is important for us as Catholics to celebrate the liturgical season of Advent as well.

Many Advent traditions consist of calendars that countdown the days until Jesus is born . The countdown starts on the first day of December and lasts through Christmas. Every day, you can open up the door behind the day’s number and a gift is there waiting for you.

“In our home, we love Advent calendars. My wife and both kids have calendars with chocolate behind each date. I was lucky this year, and my wife found me a calendar that has a different Keurig coffee pod behind each date. It’s awesome!” Mr. Duncan said.

Another popular Advent tradition is lighting the Advent wreath. The wreath has four candles in total that are lit as Advent goes on. The tradition begins on the first Sunday of December, and every Sunday after that another candle is lit. Three of the candles are purple to represent prayer, penance and sacrifice. The final candle, which is pink, symbolizes the joy that God brings us.

“At my house, my family celebrates advent by using an Advent calendar. For each day of Advent, we have a piece of chocolate and read a quote from the Bible to prepare us for Jesus’s coming. At school, I have started going to weekly Mass to prepare for Christmas,” junior Morgan Dale said.

For other St. Dominic members, such as Mrs. Hirtz, the days of Advent revolve around her and her family serving and helping others. The Hirtz family chooses a non-for-profit organization that is close to them and includes their extended family in their service. Instead of receiving gifts from themselves, they simply ask for donations to the charity. The Hirtz family has helped so many organizations such as the MS Society, Epilepsy Society, Coalition for Life, St. Vincent DePaul and many more.

It is easy to only focus on the materialistic side of the holidays, but the Advent season is worth so much more than things that can be bought. It is so important to relax, spend time with family and remember why we are really celebrating. Advent is a time where we focus on giving to others, because it is what brings us back to God and helps us reflect on all the blessing he has given us this year.