8 Favorite Advent Traditions for Tweens and Teens

Advent is nearing and life just rarely seems to slow down. So, I know this will be a year where we don't "do it all" as we prepare hearts and homes for the coming of Christ. 

Rather, we'll pick and choose from our past Advent activities, making sure to keep favorite traditions alive while also accounting for current schedules and the ages and stages my children are in.

To help me discern which Advent traditions and activities we might embrace this year, recently, I asked my 11-15 year-olds to list traditions, customs, and Advent activities that they enjoy and would like to partake in this year if possible.

Among the ideas they shared were the following, which I share forward in case they might inspire your Advent celebrated with tweens and teens.

1. Counting down with our Advent Chain.

This is one of our oldest traditions, and, though it's been tweaked a bit throughout the years, the gist of it has always remained the same.

We brainstorm activities to do during Advent and write them on slips of paper. Then, we staple the strips into a paper chain which we hang in our living room as a visual Christmas countdown calendar. 

Each day, we take off a ring and make the activity happen if we can. 

It's a wonderful way to focus us on Works of Mercy while also serving as our Advent calendar.

2. Doing acts of kindness and putting straw in Baby Jesus' manger.

Preparing the manger for Jesus is such a simple, yet effective tradition for reminding us to prepare both hearts and home for the celebration of Christ's coming.  I am excited to continue this longtime tradition this year with our new The Giving Manger!

3. Celebrating St. Nicholas Day and secretly gifting a neighbor a basket.

Of course, the kids like finding rats in their shoes or boots. One of my children enjoys watching a St. Nicholas animation still, too. All appreciate the opportunity to give to others through making our annual St. Nicholas Basket to gift to a neighbor. I highly recommend this tradition to others!

4. Celebrating the Immaculate Conception (and a birthday.)

Mass, of course, is a must on the eve of day of the Immaculate Conception. Sometimes, we have a special marian meal or dessert, too. Plus, in our home, it's a birthday day. Lots of blessings!

5. Boxing meals at our church.

Sadly, 2020 knocked out our long time tradition of helping to box meals for families in need, and, we just discovered that the volunteer opportunity is not returning to our local church community this year. So, I am hoping to get together an alternative with friends.

6. Serving at My Brother's Keeper.

My children were so sad that this tradition was canceled for the 2020 advent seasons and are so excited to hear it is returning this year. We have put it on our calendar to call the morning we have been told that volunteer sign ups wil begin to be taken, and encourage you to find a local gifting/wrapping/delvering program to partake in if you can, too. 

7. Going caroling to our neighbors and gifting them homemade cookies - and, sometimes, caroling at nursing homes, too.

Trust me, you need not sing well to carol for neighbors and nursing homes- just have a heart for bringing cheer... and perhaps some homemade cookies, too.

8. Getting our tree and decorating it on Christmas Eve.

Dewcorating the tree on Christmas Eve is a tradition I grew up with and have passed down to my children. It warms my heart that it is one they appreciate!

I am discovering that it is sometimes challenging to draw my growing children into living the liturgical year with enthusiasm and am grateful that, despite their differing personalities, interests, and stages, each  of them looks forward to some aspects of Advent still.

I'd love to hear what Advent activities appeal to your teens and tweens.

Select Spiritual Reads for Teens and Tweens

...there is hardly one among you who cannot spend a quarter of an hour each day in spiritual reading...

Let it take the form of a talk, an intimate conversation with God, and I promise that it will not be long before you will witness a happy change in your lives. 

Left to yourselves, you will always revolve in the same plane, think the same thoughts, and perhaps never find a new habiliment in which to dress them. Therefore, you must frequently renew your wardrobe of ideas. Some one must whisper new sentiments into your ears each day.

                            from Counsels of Perfection

                            for Christian Mothers 

                            by Reverend P. Lejeune

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After reading Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers  by Reverend P. Lejeune, I began working to build a habit of conversing with God through focusing on at least 15 minutes of spiritual reading daily.

If I am honest, I will admit that I still have not perfected the habit. However, I am getting nearer to this simple - but not exactly easy for me - goal and always find my days edified and enriched when I successfully dedicate time to immerse msyelf for a quarter of an hour in spiritual reading.

Typically, I engage in my spiritual reading during pockets of time when my children are not in my direct presence - in the wee hours before they rise, in the margins of time between dropping some of them to work and entering Mass, out on the swing in our front yard while they are otherwise occupied... As such there has been little, "there is more that's caught, than taught," going on here in regards to spiritual reading.

Okay. Over the summer, one child sometimes chose to read spiritual materials without my prompting, but the other two do not. In fact, sadly, one of my children tends to eskew all things faith-related right now. 

As I thought about all this at the beginning of the month, I wondered if I should move the times and locations of my (almost) daily spiritual reading to ones when my children are near to me in order for more "catching" to go on. Then, i realized, with my faith-adverse child in the mix, my efforts might be fruitless. I would likely end up distracted and at leat one of my children would probably not "catch" anything.

Therefore, I decided to coax the kids into personal spiritual reading this fall with clear parameters and appropriate carrots and sticks.

The parameters: Every day, each child must pick material off our spiritual reading shelf and read for a quarter of an hour, freely taking some of that time to journal, too, if desired.

The carrot: When a child finished a book, he or she can let Mom know. Then, the child can choose a treat (a snack to share or a place  to go visit) and we'll have a book chat whle eating or visting.

The stick (for the two who may need it): No child may not turn on a screen until spiritual reading/journaling are completed.

After deciding this, I stacked a shelf with fiction, nonfiction, light, and heacy faith-related reads and let each child pick one.

One of my children picked Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints, enjoyed it, and, then, moved onto Mother Teresa: Lessons of Love and Secrets of Sanctity.

Another child is reading Catholic Stories for Boys and Girls, because that child cannot remember when we read the stories as a read togther and wanted something super light to start with.

My final child began with The Great Divorce, which I am now reading, too.

Then, that child moved onto A Shepherd in Combat Boots next.

None of these books are of the deep spiritual quality that Reverend P. Lejeune indicated would be best for daily spiritual reading, but all are serving the purpose of building a holy habit in my children and that thrills me.

I pray that the habit of daily personal spiritual reading is ignited in my children and continues throughout their lifetimes.

I would love to hear what spiritual reading (including edifying faith-based fiction) has engaged your middle and high school level children. Please share titles with me in a comment here, on our Facebook page, or, if I am blessed to know you in real life, in person.

Thank you!

May God bless and guide all of our families as continue living and learning during this new school year.