As multiple relatives keep reminding me, Christmas is just 2 months away. Though I feel like I just barely pulled together Halloween in time... I've been asked to start thinking ahead. One favorite Advent tradition that we have adopted is the Jesse Tree. If you'd like to try it this year, I recommend planning now!
The
Jesse Tree
is an Advent tradition
named after Jesse,
the father of King David.
Biblical symbols representing the
ancestry of Jesus,
either in faith or bloodline,
are added one by one onto a tree.
As each ornament is
added, a Bible verse is read to
explain the symbol. There is one ornament
for each
day in
Advent.
I feel like praying through the stories of the Jesse Tree has really increased my understanding & my recall of the Old Testament in relation to the New. There are many ways to do it. Each night during Advent our family goes downstairs around the *Christmas* tree. We read a story out of the children's Bible, sometimes sing a verse of an Advent song, & hang the ornament related to the Biblical figure on the tree. A couple of years ago a bunch of friends each picked a story, meditated on it, made 25 of ornaments to represent it, & then swapped with each other to have a full set. It turned out awesome! If you would like details on how we made it work, I'd be glad to pass them along. Below are the readings & associated ornament for each day of this Advent. The third week is the 'O Antiphons' & the final week finds us reading many Christmas stories & travelling so I we stop with the actual Jesse Tree additions on the 21st.
November 29 Explain Jesse Tree
Put up tree & add only lights
November 30 Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4
Symbol: earth star
December 1 Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24
Symbol: tree
December 2 Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7, 23-24
Symbol: apple with snake
December 3 Noah: Gen. 6:5-22; 7:17-24; 8:1-22
Symbol: rainbow with dove
December 4 Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3
Symbol: torch & sword in starry sky
December 5 Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14
Symbol: bundle of wood
December 6 Jacob: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15
Symbol: ladder with angels
December 7 Joseph: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15
Symbol: coat of many colors
December 8 Moses: Ex. 2:1-10
Symbol: 10 Commandments
December 9 Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18
Symbol: oil lamp
December 10 Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13
Symbol: stump with leaf
December 11 David: 1 Sam. 17:12-51
Symbol: slingshot
December 12 Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-28
Symbol: temple
December 13 Jonah: Jonah 1:1-17
Symbol: whale
December 14 Nativity Story
Christmas Angel
December 15 Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25
Symbol: Joseph’s shield on fish
Mary: Luke 1:26-38
Symbol: crown of stars
December 16 John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8
Symbol: shell with dove
December 17 Jesus is Wisdom: Sirach 24:2; Wisdom 8:1
Symbol: open book
Jesus is Lord: Ex. 3:2; 20:1
Symbol: I AM burning bush
December 18 Jesus is Flower of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3
Symbol: flower
Jesus is Key of David: Isaiah 22:22
Symbol: key
December 19 Jesus is Radiant Dawn: Psalm 19:6-7
Symbol: globe with rising sun
Jesus is King: Psalm 2:7-8; Ephesians 2:14-20
Symbol: crown
December 20 Jesus is Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14; 33:22
Symbol: chalice with Eucharist
Jesus is Light of the World: John 1:1-14
Symbol: sun
December 21 Nativity: Luke 2:1-20
Symbol: baby Jesus
Decorate tree!
On the first Sunday of Advent we put up our tree. We, okay I, adorn it with white lights & purple ribbon. (The tree skirt is a new addition that I got 60% after Christmas! I was also on the lookout for purple & pink non-shattering ornaments... no luck.) Each day of Advent we read a chapter from the book The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean. Every chapter contains a simple story of an ancestor or herald of Jesus. The Old Testament is much more real & memorable to me since we've been doing it. I LOVE IT! We've had a couple of ornament swaps among friends & have at least one symbol to match each story. Andrew & Rebecca each get to hang up an ornament after we read the story. Then we say our night prayers by the light of the Jesse Tree.
Usually, the last Sunday of Advent we finish the book & kind of re-cap the story of Jesus as we take down the Jesse Tree. This year that didn't happen until December 29th! But we keep on celebrating Christmas as long as we can so why not? Here's our Christmas tree.
I love to read, pray, or just sit by the light of the Christmas tree. It's so pretty & peaceful. Can I leave it up all year? 
