How do you celebrate the first Sunday of Advent? (No advertising)

Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. Do you have any traditions for celebrating? Is an Advent wreath an absolute must for you? Is there anything special to eat?

The Advent wreath is definitely a must.
We also deck out the house for Christmas with all sorts of decorations we’ve collected over the years—string lights on the outside steps, a Christmas garland in the entryway—but no illuminated Santa Claus… that’s the only time my guys can tolerate “kitsch.”

And cookies have to be on the table! Incense in the aroma lamp and finally the Christmas CD with the children’s songs (I’ll miss that once my youngest is too old for it—I think I’ll end up listening to it secretly after that)… It just wouldn’t be the same without all of that.

As for food, our only tradition is on Christmas Eve itself: we have a cold platter with all the things we love to eat. On the 25th, we’ll have fish for dinner.

Oh, and the most important Advent tradition: no stress!

I wish everyone a joyful, peaceful, and contemplative Advent!

Best wishes, Sabine

Every year, I give my coworkers a small gift for the first Sunday of Advent. It’s my way of wishing everyone a wonderful Advent season. It’s always something I make myself. But now that I’m retired, I’ll do it one more time this year—and then that’s it.

In the morning, we’ll go to church—on the first Sunday of Advent, the children receiving First Communion and Confirmation in 2017 will be introduced. My daughter is having her First Communion and is already looking forward to it.

In the afternoon, we’ll go ice skating—something wintery. I hope it’s not +20 degrees again, because then even ice skating won’t get us in the Advent spirit.

And in the evening, of course, the Advent wreath, along with the kids singing Christmas carols and eating cookies—that is, if my kids haven’t secretly polished them all off by then.
We’ll also be reading Advent stories again. My kids have loved them since they were little, and our library has a great selection.

I wish everyone a peaceful Advent season!

I use the time to bake the first Christmas cookies. My family has already placed their orders for which kinds they want, and my daughter is already really looking forward to baking.
We'll decorate tomorrow, and the windows still need to be cleaned beforehand.
Then the cozy season can happily begin....

It sounds so lovely at your place, and yet it’s so different for me. I don’t have any Christmas decorations because my husband thinks they’re tacky, and I’m not really good at decorating either. 
For the last two years we had an Advent arrangement, but somehow we never lit it.  Since I crochet in front of the TV and need full light there! So we’re skipping it this year too.
As things look at the moment, I’ll be working every Sunday in Advent anyway,  so it doesn’t really matter. 
I’m too lazy to bake cookies, but I also haven’t found any great recipes without nuts and almonds yet (I have a severe allergy). 
This year we’ll probably have a Christmas tree, because my parents and parents-in-law are coming over on Christmas Eve. Last year we were at my parents-in-law’s, and we had a tree there. 
And on the second day of Christmas I’ll be working again. 
But Christmas has never had the same importance for me as it does in other families. When I was a child, Christmas was sometimes even postponed; Dad is a train driver and often had to work at Christmas. 
And Mom was a saleswoman and was always tired on Christmas Eve. 
But I really enjoy reading about your Christmas traditions. Sabine’s especially sounded so lovely!
Best wishes 
Sandra 

If you make things nice for yourself, life is nice too!

And for Advent, I just have to have a homemade Advent wreath. Making it already creates a pre-Christmas mood, and the spicy scent of fir reminds me of earlier times. I gathered the different fir branches and leaves in my garden and in my neighbor’s garden. And when looking at and choosing the right baubles and decorative items, I could hardly decide. DIY is a celebration for me. I simply enjoy taking time for the beautiful things and delighting in the result. I could have bought one too, but then my joy in it wouldn’t be half as great. Hence my headline ...

So, enough said, you can take a look at it too. Enjoy the lovely Advent season!
Best wishes from "Ina strickt"
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Today I “decorated my apartment for Christmas,” and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ever since I’ve been home (only since early November), I’ve been looking forward to this day the whole time. Taking my time to clean and tidy up the apartment! Then bringing the lovely, familiar Christmas decorations up from the basement and putting them in their places! Then I hooked up the beautiful Christmas stars to the timers and felt so happy when they turned on and cast a lovely glow! And tomorrow morning, I’ll wake up and just feel happy! Now Advent can begin. And not like in recent years, when I’d rush to get everything done on the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent, and by the time I’m finished, I’m drenched in sweat from all the hustle and bustle. This is lovely, and it makes me happy.