Bring Advent back

What would it be like to have Advent for 4 weeks?  I would like to know.  

Over the years, I've become less excited about December. I love Christmas, but not the weeks leading up to it -- until I went to Germany for 2 weeks in December and felt Advent for the first time.

Advent was named and visible in the Advent wreath in the hotel lobby and the Advent family singing in the cathedral.  Windows in the city hall were turned into an Advent calendar - one lit each day during Advent.  It was the special Advent menu at the restaurant and the music played at the Christkindl Markets; the greens sold to make an Advent wreath at home and the Nativity scenes everywhere.  (Some cathedrals in Europe employ someone just for the purpose of creating the Nativity scene in the cathedral each year using sets that are hundreds of years old!)  In Munich there was one market dedicated exclusively to items to create your own nativity scene at home.

Everywhere we went, it was live greenery with white lights.  It wasn't about visits to Santa, reindeer, blow-up characters, blue and orange lights, black trees (2019's trend in North America apparently).  It wasn't about trend at all.  

So it got me to realizing that I want Advent.  I want a time to prepare for Christmas and then celebrate Christmas during the twelve days until Epiphany.  If we had a North American "do over", I'd put Santa Claus on Saint Nicholas day, December 5-6, and keep the fun that is Santa Claus but separate it from Christmas (which apparently was something that Martin Luther wanted: to put the Christ child as the focus of Christmas).  I'd move all our traditions (pageant, carols, dinners and parties) to the 12 days.  Advent would be the Advent wreath and advent music and stories of waiting and expectation and the 4 themes we follow with the candles:  hope, love, joy and peace.  And then we celebrate when the wait is over!

I appreciate this year people are decorating early and radio stations went all-Christmas after Hallowe'en because we all need some hope and Christmas spirit this year.  But I think we'd all be better off to do the work of Advent and get ready for Christmas.  Bring Advent back.

Here are some Advent pictures from my trip to Germany: