Advent Friday Five

From the RevGalBlogPals, as Advent begins this Sunday.

1) Do you observe Advent in your church? Definitely. Advent wreathmaking workshop with volunteer-created booklet of prayers and readings; Advent-oriented readings and prayers and hymns in the services, and I'm sure some small changes to the liturgy that I don't think about; Advent wreath lighting at the beginning of each service on Sunday; Advent liturgical color used in hangings and such in the church; Advent quiet day mini-retreat some years; Advent family activities on Wednesday evenings some years.

2) How about at home? Again, definitely. We have worked to develop traditions for Advent as preparation, Christmas (12 days) as celebration, Epiphany as a good ending to this time of year -- and it's really helped relax this time of year for us. Better than the cultural, sustained, intense anticipation-celebration-preparation mix that starts in November and ends abruptly sometime on Christmas Day. Off soapbox!

Our home traditions for Advent include lighting the Advent wreath every evening before dinner, and saying the prayers and readings on Sunday evenings; decluttering the house and kids' things and giving away excess toys, etc.; having simple, easy dinners; decorating the house but no Christmas tree until nearly Christmas.

Edited to add: There are a bunch of tips and ideas for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany over at my Web site Faith at Home, should you be interested.

3) Do you have a favorite Advent text or hymn? O Come, O Come, Emmanuel -- 'cause I love that minor-key stuff, and the connection with first-millenium Christians through the Great O antiphons on which it is based.

4) Why is one of the candles in the Advent wreath pink? (You may tell the truth, but I'll like your answer better if it's funny.) Joy, celebration, or is it... pink for us girls!

5) What's the funniest/kitschiest Advent calendar you've ever seen? I dunno; I think Sara over at Going Jesus has a lot of examples of truly awful such stuff, though.