Advent 2011: Hold the Gingerbread

When you enter a town and people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick, and say, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

Luke 10:8-9

Food makes up a large part of our daily existence.  We use it for energy, satisfaction, sharing, giving, loving, pacifying and celebrating.  And, this is true around the world.  But, during a holiday season when so much of the focus is on food - whether cookies or punch - an allergic child can feel left out and miss out on experiences that unit groups.

This holiday, help your angel safely experience a tradition that is associated specifically with the Christmas season.... decorating gingerbread cookies.  In the US, it is a very commong tradition to bake cookies for gifts, parties, and swaps.  However, a cookie to my very allergic angel doesn't look much like other people's and no matter how delicious they are, not many are lining up to eat them!  My cookies just aren't those familiar peanut butter kiss cookies or frosted sugar reindeer... and they probably never will be.

So, help your angel get in on the action by making gifts to give your local senior citizens, neighbors, homeless or firemen.  By decorating paper gingerbread people or a professionally baked cookie, you can help your angel have the Christmas gingerbread cookie experience....safely!

Christmas Adventus Day 17:  Place a decorated paper gingerbrean man in advent bag #17.   Tonight we will be making paper gingerbread people to give to neighbors, friends and the elderly for Christmas.

 

Materials: brown construction paper, pencil, gingerbread shaped cookie cutter, scissors, small hole punch, 5 inches of 1/8" wide ribbon per gingerbread man, ricrac, buttons, sequins, small poms, glue

Instructions:

1. Place the cookie cutter on the brown construction paper and trace.
2. Cut out the gingerbread tracing and punch a hole in the top of the gingerbread man' head .
3. Thread a piece of ribbon through the hole and tie in a knot to make a loop for hanging the ornament.
4. Write "Merry Christmas!" on the back of each.  We printer labels with 1 Peter 1:8 on them and stuck one to the back of each ornament.
   “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now,
   you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” 1Peter 1:8
5. Decorate the front of the gingerbread man with the ricrac, buttons, sequins, and poms.
6. Have fun!
7. Give these to friends, neighbors, or the elderly to wish them a merry Christmas.

For more Gingerbread fun, visit our Christmas Adventus 2011 page.

For our other Advent activities, see "Christmas Adventus 2011: Celebrating Allergy-Free".

Advent 2011: Las Posadas

Throughout Latin America and much of the Spanish speaking world, today begins a celebration called Las Posadas.  Las Posadas is a time to remember Mary and Joseph’s long journey in search of a place to stay.  During this celebration, children roam the streets going door to door in search of someone to let them in.  The children are dressed as the angel, Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, and shepherds.  They are followed by the adults who carry candles.  At each door, the children stop and they sing a song Pidiendo Posadas or “begging for shelter”.  The children sing and the people in the homes answer that they have no space… until, one home finally lets the singers enter. 

Once inside the home, the festivities begin.  Everyone says a prayer then enjoys tamales and warm punch, or “Ponche Navideno”, and the breaking of a star shaped pinata.  This tradition begins nine days before Christmas on December 16^th and continues through Christmas Day.

Christmas Adventus Day 16:  Hang a piñata filled with small toys somewhere safe or fill a paper bag with small toys and tie it at the top then hang it from a high location.  If you made Ponche Navideno earlier in the day, give everyone a warm cup to sip while you read the introduction to today’s advent.

Watch this fun YouTube video of a Disney explanation of Las Posadas:

Discussion:

What traditions do you celebrate each Christmas?  Which traditions are special to your family culture?  Although your family may not recognize their family’s cultural heritage, our family traditions have evolved over the years to include old and new traditions that make a culture special to only your family.

Who makes the preparations for your celebrations and traditions?  Can you remember what preparations we made for Jesus arrival a few weeks ago?  (we built a manger)  We learned a few weeks ago that God made many preparations for baby Jesus arrival. However, many people were not ready for Him to come.  The Bible tells us that Jesus will come a second time.  Hebrews9: 27,28 says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”  Jesus will come again to save us.  How can we be ready?  John 3:16 tells says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  And, Luke 12:35-48 tells us that we do not know when the Lord will come and so we must be always be ready.  We must do the work that the Lord has given us.  Be ready!

Now, take turns hitting your piñata (or filled paper bag) with a stick while wearing a blindfold.  Hit the bag until it breaks and the toys fall out.  Be sure to do this somewhere with plenty of space for swinging the stick!

If you are not yet ready to meet Jesus when he comes again, please find a pastor in a local church that can pray with you and help you to prepare for His coming.

For our allergy-free version of “Ponche Navideno” and other information about Las Posadas, go to Christmas Adventus 2011 .  I have placed links to the song “Pidiendo Posadas” with English translation and other fun videos on that page.

For our other Advent activities, see "Christmas Adventus 2011: Celebrating Allergy-Free".

Advent 2011: The Trip

www.Bibles-books-maps.com

We’ve all taken trips.  But none were as momentous as that of Mary and Joseph.  A woman at the end of her pregnancy making her way to a town 80 miles away would probably have been travelling by foot or donkey for about a week.  How tired she must have felt!  Can you imagine what it would have been like for her?  Let’s try!

Christmas Adventus Day 15: Today, place a picture from a family trip in the 15^th advent bag.

With your family, make a “manger” that is large enough for your whole family to sit under.  Use sheets for the roof and blankets for hay. Everyone sit in your manger with your luminaries for light.  Open today’s advent bag and ask if anyone remembers that trip.  What was their favorite part?

Tell about the best trip that you have ever taken.  By plane, in a car, on foot….did you ever feel? Excited? tired? Scared? Bored?  Ask them to share their favorite trips.  Could they imagine riding a donkey to get there?  Or walking?

Mary and Jesus probably sat in the manger and talked about their trip to Bethlehem just like we are talking about our trips.  But their manger was very different than ours.  What do you think that their manger looked like?  Was it warm or cold?  How did it smell?

Mary and Joseph had a long, hard journey - walking much of the trip.  Once they arrived in Bethlehem, they looked for a place to stay but what did they discover? (no one had any room)  So, they stayed in the only place available…. The stable.

Go to Christmas Adventus 2011 for today’s activity and to learn more about the manger where Jesus was born,.  We have a video link with follow-up questions to help your family get the most out of today’s advent topic.

For our other Advent activities, see "Christmas Adventus 2011: Celebrating Allergy-Free".