Advent and Christmas traditions - 1

During the season of Advent our family worship is usually transformed a little and we change gears to follow the historical Church Calendar readings and retell stories that undergird Christmas traditions. We have used the Anglican Book of Common Prayer; but this year we are reading through the Jesse Tree Family Devotions(as recommended to us by our good friends the Drews). Our eShop also sells a wonderful resource, Advent & Christmas in Family Worship. Another great book on the joyous stories, carols, feasts and traditions of Christmas is George Grant and Gregory Wilbur’s book Christmas Spirit.I cannot recommend this book more highly. Grant and Wilbur make the Christian Christmas tradition come alive; you and your kids/grand kids will love it. I have used short snippets from this book in our family worship for two years now and our children love the stories of St Boniface, St Nicholas, mistletoe, liturgical colours and many other little gems. As western, presbyterian, reformed, rationalistic moderns we often find the symbolic and typological difficult to understand and embrace. But they are important; Christianity is not rationalism nor can it be reduced to a string of propositions. It is centred on and rooted deeply in the covenant; which ultimately reflects the loving bond between the persons of the Trinity. So what about some of these Advent and Christmas traditions? 

St. Bonniface and the Advent tradition

Boniface of Crediton quietly served the Church for the first forty years of his life. He lived and served through scholarship and expounding Biblical doctrine for a small theological college near his home in Exeter, England. Boniface also busied himself by discipling young converts and serving the poor. This all changed in 718 AD when he set off as missionary to the barbaric Teutonic tribes of Germany. He served these people for thirty years, bringing them the Gospel in both word and deed. Boniface was renowned for risking his life for the old, sick, helpless and poor by often placing his body between the oppressed and oppressor. This missionary took the light of the Gospel to a dark and savage people, whose pagan practises included human mutilations and vestal sacrifices. But he understood that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation and through it these fierce people would be conquered. Upon arrival at Hesse, Boniface resolved to strike at the very root of this rampant and ruthless paganism by publically announcing that he would defeat their false gods. The bewildered crowd at Geismar followed and watched as he marched up Mount Gudenburg to the sacred grove and cut down the Oak of Thor. They stood, aghast, waiting for their ancient object of worship to take immediate retributive action. Nothing occurred, but the Gospel was expounded, and they professed Christ together.

This news spread throughout the countryside. In a neighbouring village a young boy heard of the bold Englishmen’s actions. Three evenings after Mount Gudenberg this boy’s young sister was taken to be offered as the vestal sacrifice. Her brother rushed to find Boniface and pleaded for help. The missionary dropped all and hurried with the boy through the snow and arrived at a clearing to find the druid priest raising his blade to slaughter the girl. Boniface hurled himself at the priest, wooden cross thrust out before himself, just in time. The blade plunged into his cross and the druid was hurled backwards. A breathtaking silence fell over the crowd and Boniface proclaimed the Gospel of freedom to them. He showed them that Christ was the once for all sacrifice, Who hung upon a tree, for their sins. Then he turned to the sacred grove, lopped low lying limbs and handed each family one branch. Boniface instructed them to take the “tree” home, decorate it and remember that Christ hung upon the tree at Calvery. They were told to adorn their hearths and even chop logs from the “sacred” grove to fuel their fires. All of this was to remind them of the complete sacrifice of Christ and herald the provision of His coming. Boniface desired the season of Advent to be a time of contemplation, a preparation for the celebration of Christmas.

These memorials filled the void of old pagan superstitions, memorialised the new life of the Gospel and inspired a number of Advent traditions:

Advent and wreaths

Advent commences four Sundays before Christmas and has been celebrated by Christians throughout the centuries. This is a Church Calendar season of preparation, for the celebration of Christmas. Tradition is for families to light and then stand a candle amidst a tabletop evergreen wreath each Sunday in Advent. The colours of these candles vary, however the first three are usually red with the last being white or gold. A Bible reading, reflection and prayer usually follow the candle lighting. This provides families with a time to contemplate and reflect upon what God did through the incarnation. This tradition was quickly established as a means to re-enact the Gospel lesson provided by Boniface. As a family we have spoken of this and look forward to implementing it possibly next year.

Christmas tree

The idea of a Christmas tree found its root in the tradition of Boniface. Martin Luther condoned its use, as a reminder that all the idols of this world have been turned to nought, while the tree of Calvery is the centre and hinge of history. The tree was to occupy the centre of the home and be decorated with tinsel, lights/candles, decorative baubles, and topped with a heralding angel. It was to symbolise the centrality of the Gospel to all of life.

Yule log

Generational retellings of the stories of Boniface and the sacred grove led to the tradition of the Yule Log in Serbia and Croatia. A stout log was bored out, stuffed with fragrant herbs, wine and oil, and then set upon the hearth fire to fill the home with sweet aromas. Christians used this tradition to remember the “sweet smelling” sacrifice of Christ.

The Gospel light and life in Boniface brought many saints to glory and ignited the spread of Christ’s Kingdom to an otherwise savage and unevangelised area of Europe. With a small dedicated group he established a number of thriving parishes, mentored the Carolingians, reformed the Frankish church, and ultimately discipled Pipin the Short (father of Charlemagne the Great). Boniface never retired from labouring in taking the Gospel to the lost. After he reached 70 he resigned from pastoral duties to see out his life working with the fierce Frieslanders in the northeastern Germanies. While reading and preparing to baptise some new converts one Whitsun Eve in Dokkum (frontier of the Netherlands), a band of pagan warriors attacked Boniface’s camp. While exhorting his companions to trust Christ and be obedient even unto death the warriors attacked. Boniface did not cower from death and through his courageous efforts to bring light into dark places the traditions of Advent live on.^[1]

Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983) eloquently describes the Christmas season like this; “When I think of Christmas Eves, Christmas feasts, Christmas songs, and Christmas stories, I know that they do not represent a short and transient gladness. Instead, they speak of a joy unspeakable and full of glory. God loved the world and sent His Son. Whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. That is Christmas joy. That is Christmas spirit.”