practicing pilgrimage at home and abroad
With Advent nearly upon us and Christmas festivities around us in full swing, Jenn Giles Kemper of Sacred Ordinary Days shares with us how we can infuse spirituality and intention into this season and the seasons to come through following the Liturgical Year.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end—we’re giving away a new Sacred Ordinary Days Liturgical Day Planner to a lucky winner!
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Because I didn’t grow up in a liturgical church, my only exposure to the twelve days of Christmas was the popular Christmas Carol, and while I knew all of the words by heart (my chamber choir performed it multiple times each year—complete with actions), I never quite knew when the twelve days of Christmas actually were. (The twelve days before Christmas? Whenever Ellen Degeneres does her Twelve Days of Giveaways?)
Whenever I discovered the liturgical calendar and learned about Advent and the Christmas season that followed, I finally found my answer. (The true Christmas season is twelve days after all—who would have thought?) And while I finally knew the exact date for when to expect to receive ten lords a-leaping, I wasn’t quite sure how to mark each day. Because I had embraced the invitation of waiting and keeping vigil that Advent brings, I wanted my celebration of Christmas to be as filled with intention as the season that had passed. And so I dug a bit further, uncovering multiple feast days and invitations already imbedded in the season, and filled in the blanks with invitations and traditions that seem equally fitting to mark the light that the season brings.
Want to join me in this full-on celebration? Here are twelve ideas for marking the twelve days of Christmas (way cheaper than the song, I promise):
We’re marking the transition in the Sacred Ordinary Days Podcast with a new episode on Christmas and Christmastide—perfect for listening to as you prepare for guests or journey out of town for your Christmas celebration.
In this episode we explore themes and traditions associated with Christmas and discuss what it’s like to start new traditions and celebrate the full twelve days of the Christmas season, also known as “Christmastide.”
Listen/download below or through iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and catch up on past episodes here. And if you like what you hear, would you mind sharing it on social media and leaving a review? It helps spread the word, and I’ll be giving away a Sacred Seasons calendar or hand-lettered print to one lucky reviewer who leaves a review of the podcast on iTunes between now and our next episode on January 6! Here’s how to leave a review »
Not long from now, the day will fade into night and our Advent vigil will shift into full-on Christmas celebration. I like the Jewish idea that the day begins and sundown—a time of rest, of quiet, of mystery. I experience the beauty of it most of all on Christmas Eve as we pause from the cultural hustle and bustle and gather together by candlelight, remembering that mysterious, (not so) silent night so long ago.
And then with the birth of Christ comes a celebration—twelve days of it in fact. I’ll be entering my own time of rest, quiet, and mystery over the twelve days of Christmas as I take a break from A Sacred Journey, slowing down and spending time with things less technological and more tangible.
When New Year’s rolls around, I’ll also take time to reflect on the year that has been and and the year to come—one of my favorite traditions that has taken shape over the years. Here are some of my favorite resources from friends of A Sacred Journey if you’d like to join me:
Another gift for you: On Christmas Day (December 25 from 12am PST to 11:59pm PST), the Kindle edition of Pilgrim Principles will be over 50% off! (Sorry—US only.) Might I suggest starting the year off with the intention of the pilgrim with this seven-week journey right at home? It’s hard to believe it was released just this year!
I’ll be back on January 6 (Epiphany!) to share my word for 2015 and what the year holds for A Sacred Journey. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
our 2014 Christmas card