“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”
Orthodox Advent began yesterday. Just as we take 40 days to prepare for Christ’s death and resurrection at Pascha (Easter), we also take 40 days to prepare for Christ’s birth. So, November 15 is the day we put up our Christmas decorations. (All but our stockings, which we hang up for St. Nicholas day on December 6.) You can click on the pictures for larger versions.
Before picture
In front of the fire!
Playing with the Nativity Scene while Daddy goes out to buy more lights!
Getting Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus ready.
The finished Nativity Scene
Close-up of Playmobile Nativity Scene
Daddy finally makes it home and puts on the lights.
Hot chocolate and brownies!
Lights are on!
Ephraim enjoys putting ornaments on the tree.
Madeleine's turn to put on an ornament.
Big reach!
Daddy helps Ephraim put the angel on.
Finished!
We let the kids pick out an ornament each year - here is Madeleine's ballerina.
Ephraim picked a baseball snowman.
Our tree is not one of those fancy-looking coordinated trees. It has 5-year-old tacky tinsel and most of the built-in lights don’t work.
A lot of the ornaments are handmade ones the kids have brought home from daycare. But those little treasures make our tree so beautiful!
Precious pictures of precious people getting ready for the Light of the World to come again!