Spanish, Hispanic, and Filipino Advent Traditions

Two Advent traditions not mentioned in that article are the Advent Wreath and the Jesse Tree.

Every year since we got married, my wife and I have marked the time leading up to Christmas with an Advent wreath. Although it's a bit late to start one this year, here is a great article that explains its purpose and symbolism.

When the kids were growing up, we gathered with a group of other families and a few singles to decorate a Jesse Tree. Each adult and child who participated created an ornament based on a biblical story from Salvation history. They shared the story and then hung the ornament on the tree. Here is an article

The tree was simply a branch scavenged from a forest preserve, painted gold, and placed in a coffee can filled with sand. Most of the ornaments were made from paper or everyday household items. The neighbor kids would tease our kids about our Charlie Brown tree.

Unfortunately, most of the people involved with that have moved or passed away. I miss it.