As we draw ever closer to the end of this liturgical year and the beginning of the next, it is a worthy practice to meditate on how we can truly prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas. To the world, Advent is synonymous with the ubiquitous calendars that mark the passing of days; the whole of December is not a time of preparation for Christmas, but the celebration itself. And because we are in the world, but not of the world, we will be bombarded with Christmas music before Thanksgiving has even passed, with inflatable Santas and snowmen, and with advertisements for all sorts of sales—but we can resist. Even when the world around us is loud, we can cultivate silence in our hearts and grow in the virtue of hope as we approach Christmas Day. Here are some ideas for living out the season of Advent:

First, embrace silence. Yes, Mariah Carey will be blaring from every speaker in your hometown, everywhere from the grocery store to the dentist’s office; that doesn’t mean you have to do the same in your own home. Instead, opt for hymns written for the season of Advent—such as “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”—or, better yet, choose silence. Advent is a “little Lent,” which is why priests wear purple vestments for Mass. Abstaining from Christmas music or music of any kind during Advent is a small sacrifice that can help bring us closer to Christ. 

Second, make your necessary purchases and as many preparations as possible before Advent begins. Part of the reason why the weeks before Christmas seem so hectic and that it is difficult to prepare our hearts for Christmas is because, understandably, we are focused on making our own Christmas lists and checking them twice! Whether you are a parent or grandparent with children or a single person, there are always gifts to purchase and wrap and give away. Whenever possible, opt to make these purchases and wrap any presents before the first Sunday of Advent, so that when that day comes, you are not distracted by an over-abundance of material needs.

Third, anchor your decorating around feast days and decorate intentionally. It seems that the world turns red and green in the first, tender hours of November 1, with Christmas trees popping up everywhere. While it might be tempting to put up your tree and lights early, consider waiting. One wonderful option is to wait to light up your house until the feast of St. Lucy on December 13. Lucy means “light,” and it is, therefore, an appropriate time, liturgically speaking, to light up one’s home. Consider, too, waiting until closer to Christmas to put up your tree and keeping it up at least for the twelve days of Christmas and even until February 2, the feast of Candlemas and the traditional conclusion of the Christmas season. It is much easier to make it to Candlemas if you waited to put up your tree closer to Christmas—particularly if you have a real tree, as opposed to an artificial one. 

And finally, celebrate the wonderful feast days that the Church has given us during the season of Advent! The feasts of St. Nicholas, Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception, St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Lucy, and Our Lady of Loreto all take place during Advent. These are little glimpses into the joy of the coming of Christ that we will be celebrating at Christmas. If you maintain a penitential spirit during Advent, the glory of these feast days becomes even more pronounced. 

It can be a challenge to try to live out the seasons of the Church when it is opposed to how to world lives them out, but the joy of reaching Christmas after having waited and prepared far outweighs the little sacrifices that are made along the way.