I have a confession to make:

…I used to be an Advent stickler.

That meant no Christmas music, no Christmas tree, no decorations until well into December. The only hints of Christmas were the Advent wreath upon the table and all eight verses of O Come O Come Emmanuel playing on repeat.

I used to shake my head at the department stores with their Christmas decorations going up before our Halloween candy was gone. Thanksgiving hadn’t even arrived yet: it was much too early to even think about Christmas

Recently, though, my stance on Advent has changed. Before I explain, I want to note I’m that not scoffing at those who are self-proclaimed Advent sticklers — there is a beauty in simplicity, and in the ascetic response to the consumerism that often inundates the secular celebration of Christmas. And often it does feel like the world skips straight to the celebration without preparing for the feast.

Yet the Orthodox Nativity Fast has us preparing for the birth of Christ even earlier than many department stores. Starting on November 15th (in the New Calendar), we begin to prepare our minds and bodies and souls for the Nativity of Christ.

At first, it was difficult for me to think about Christmas “so early” (even though forty days prior doesn’t seem too early for Pascha/Easter). The Incarnation of our Lord is a major feast: and major feasts take major preparation.

It reminds me of all of the thought and hard work that goes into throwing a party. There’s cooking and decorating and planning and cleaning and organizing — so much to do! Preparing well takes time. As much as all of us love to procrastinate, there are some things we can’t put off until the last minute. When you look at the ornate feasts thrown in movies or paintings, you see the time and care that went into every element of the table setting. The sparkling dishes, the carefully folded napkins, the decorations, the multiple-course banquet: it takes time and community and intentionality to prepare well for a feast.

I would argue preparing well also requires joy. We plan our parties with excitement and anticipation (even the introverted among us). What good is a party if all the arrangements were made grudgingly or half-heartedly?

When we let the seasons of the Church permeate our everyday life, the rhythms of fast and feast, of preparation and celebration, begin to shape and form us.

One of the glorious things about letting the seasons of the Church permeate our everyday life is the sense of “already and not yet”. In a very real way, we live at a point in time after the Incarnation of Christ. Yet in a very real way, we are also preparing for the Incarnation to occur. The season of Advent not only reminds us to prepare for Christ’s first coming, but also His second.

I’ve come to cherish these forty days before Christmas. Now I start preparing as soon as the Nativity Fast begins. I add decorations and reminders in increments throughout the weeks: placing our Nativity icon in the forefront of our prayer corner. Changing our tablecloth to the festive one. Baking gingerbread. Helping my parents and grandparents decorate their houses. Lighting our Western Advent wreath as soon as December begins. Getting our Christmas tree. Revisiting On the Incarnation by St Athanasius. Listening to Hansel’s Messiah.

(I do wait to play Christmas music til after Thanksgiving. I’m not a complete monster.)

I see each of these things as a way to “set the table” to prepare for the feast. The table is set, but we are still waiting for the arrival of our guests. The beauty of the music and decorations remind me to take joy in the preparation. The discipline of the Nativity Fast helps me to intentionally prepare the way, and make ourselves ready for the King of Kings.

Whether you decorate before Thanksgiving, or wait til December 24th, I hope your Advent season is one of hopeful, peaceful, joyful preparation.