Years ago I started researching a book about celebrating Advent. I learned so many things along the way! Here are ten of my favorite unusual discoveries about Advent. 1) Plum pudding has zero plums in it and sits in your cupboard for five weeks! In England and Ireland, plum pudding is an extremely popular dessert served on Christmas Day. Although called “plum pudding”, plums are actually never used. This is because the word “plum” in Victorian times referred to raisins. So you’ll find raisins and other dried fruits but no plums. The other thing that I did not know about plum pudding is that it is made right at the beginning of Advent. This means that by the time you eat it, it has been sitting in your pantry for five weeks. Five weeks everybody! Good thing it gets doused with brandy right before it’s served! 2) St. Francis of Assisi came up with the first Nativity Scene. Ever drive through the live nativity scenes that a local church puts on? Well, you owe a big thank you to St. Francis of Assisi. That’s right, the animal-loving, father of the Franciscan order of monks, St. Francis of Assisi. In 1223, St. Francis came up with the idea of having a live nativity scene with real people and real animals in his hometown of Greccio, Italy. The idea of a nativity scene in one’s town quickly spread throughout Christendom and is one of our most enduring Advent traditions. 3) In Brazil, Christians have a tradition called “Los Pastores” or “The Shepherds.” Like many other Christians around the world, Brazilian Christians attend folk plays depicting the story of the birth of baby Jesus. Only in Brazil, there’s a bit of a kick… Baby Jesus gets kidnapped. In the Brazilian version, instead of male shepherds, the shepherds are females and visit baby Jesus with someone they don’t know. The rest of the play is filled with drama, cliffhangers, and suspense when the stranger kidnaps baby Jesus. P.S. – If you are worried about the outcome of baby Jesus, he is safely rescued by the end of the play! 4) St. Lucy was a real person! On December 13, Christians all over the world celebrate St. Lucy’s Day. Saint Lucy or Santa Lucia was a young girl who grew up in Italy in the 4th century. She is one of the earliest Christian martyrs. She was killed by the Romans in 304 AD because of her religious beliefs. St.Lucy was born into a rich family but desired to dedicate her whole life to God and give all of her worldly possessions to the poor. She brought food to persecuted Christians that were hiding in the Roman catacombs. The catacombs were dark and in order to find your way around, you needed to carry candles. St. Lucy wanted to bring as much food as possible to the people but needed to keep both of her hands-free. She solved this problem by attaching candles to a wreath on her head. That’s why you always see St. Lucy depicted with a wreath of candles on her head. 5) Traditionally, Advent was always a time to focus on the poor. Although the weeks leading up to Christmas are all about the rush to get our Christmas gifts purchased and wrapped, Advent is supposed to be a time to remember those less fortunate than us. Advent is all about preparing our hearts and meditating on the birth of Christ. Since Jesus’ family had very little in life and no place to rest their weary heads, we remember and work hard to bless all those that are less fortunate than us. It is a time to collect alms for the poor and to stretch out our hands in a spirit of charity to bless and heal those around us. 6) KFC for Christmas In Japan, Christians aren’t familiar with turkey as a meal on Christmas Day so they buy KFC fried chicken instead! The popularity of KFC fried chicken for Christmas Day is so great that orders are placed starting at the beginning of Advent! 7) Summer fruits in the South Advent is in the summertime in South Africa, so many of their traditional dishes revolve around summer fruits like watermelon and cantaloupes. 8) Father Christmas is getting old! In China, on St. Nicholas Eve, Christian children hang up muslin stockings that are specially made so “Dun Che Lao Ren”, or “Christmas Old Man,” can fill them with wonderful gifts. 9) Think spring is for Spring Cleaning? Well, it is traditional for many Christians around the world to clean their homes from top to bottom on the days of Advent leading up to Christmas. That way there is no work to be done on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Everyone can just relax and celebrate! 10) There is no “right” way to construct an Advent wreath! Norwegians use a wreath made of straw, Danes make one out of braided bread, and some people use simple brass or wooden forms. The wreaths can be hung from the ceiling or placed on a table. In Venezuela, they even have an Advent wreath in the classroom and each student is able to bring the wreath home for a night. Bonus! Here are two extras just for fun! 11) St. Nicholas arrives by boat in the Netherlands. 12) In Southern Germany they have what is known as “Knocking Nights” during Advent. Children go door to door in their neighborhood making lots of noise. At each house, they are then given candy or sweets. It’s like Halloween all over again but with no scary costumes! Advent really is such a beautiful time of year. The season helps to recenter us on the things that are the most important in life. It is filled with so many wonderful and fun traditions from around the world. Incorporating some of these traditions, heightened the experience of the season for me and my family.

Picture this. Every evening during the last nine days before Christmas, a great crowd forms in the village streets. A small child dressed as an angel leads the figures of Joseph, Mary, and the donkey. Behind the figures, a procession follows made up of townspeople carrying candles and musicians playing carols. The procession stops at different homes, where scriptures are read and traditional songs are sung, begging shelter for poor Mary and Joseph. At each stop, the people in the homes sing a traditional response refusing Mary and Joseph because there is “no room at the inn.” Finally, on Christmas Eve, Mary and Joseph find a home with an open door and a welcome. The angel, Mary, and Joseph enter in and gather around a large cradle. The villagers follow and kneel around the nativity scene to pray. In the cradle, a figure of the infant Jesus is placed on a bed of straw and gently rocked while everyone around sings a traditional lullaby. After songs and prayers, everyone gathers together for a huge celebration with carols, feasting, firecrackers, and a piñata. This tradition, celebrated in many Spanish-speaking countries, is known as Las Posadas, which means “the inns.” At the end of Las Posadas, the guests are served a feast of tamales, a hot drink called ponche and a type of fritter called buñuelos. Try these traditional Las Posadas recipes for your family. And, if you’d like more Advent recipes, devotions, and traditions, check out my book: The Liturgical Home: Advent! Homemade Tamales Ingredients: Tamale Filling: 1 1/4 pounds pork loin 1 large onion, halved 1 clove garlic 4 dried California chile pods 2 cups water 1 1/2 teaspoons salt Tamale Dough: 2 cups masa harina 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup lard 1 (8 ounce) package dried corn husks 1 cup sour cream Directions: Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through about 2 hours. Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chiles and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in one cup of the chile sauce. Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the masa harina, baking powder, and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough. Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour. Remove tamales from the husks and drizzle the remaining chile sauce over. Top with sour cream. For a creamy sauce, mix sour cream into the chile sauce. Source: Allrecipes.com. Buñuelos (Mexican Fritters) Ingredients: Fritters: 3 cups flour 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup milk 1 egg 2 tablespoons lard, melted and cooled 2 teaspoons vanilla Vegetable oil, for frying Cinnamon Sugar: 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon Cinnamon Anise Syrup (Optional): 2 cups water 8 ounces piloncillo, (panela), coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon grated lime peel 1 teaspoon grated orange peel 2 Cinnamon Sticks 2 teaspoons Anise Seed Directions For the Fritters, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Mix milk, egg, lard, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring constantly to form a slightly sticky dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Incorporate additional flour, a tablespoon flour at a time, until dough is no longer sticky. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, for the Cinnamon Sugar, mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Set aside. For the Anise Syrup, mix water, piloncillo, lime peel, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and anise seed in heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Cook on medium heat 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve piloncillo. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Boil 20 minutes or until syrup thinly coats a spoon. Strain and set aside at room temperature. (Anise Syrup can be made 3 to 4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before using.) Roll each ball of dough into a 6-inch round on lightly floured surface. Stack dough rounds between wax paper or plastic wrap. Let stand 10 minutes. Pour vegetable oil into heavy large skillet or saucepan to depth of 1 inch (about 2 cups oil). Heat oil on medium-high heat to 365°F to 370°F on deep-fry thermometer. Fry dough rounds, 1 at a time, for 2 minutes or until golden and puffed, turning once using tongs. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle each fritter with 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve with warm Anise Syrup, if desired. Ponche Navideño (Mexican Christmas Fruit Punch) Ingredients: 4 quarts water 2 cinnamon sticks 8 whole cloves 5 long tamarind pods, husk removed, and seeded or boil the entire pod to make removing easier ½ pound tejocotes or crab apples, left whole 6 large guavas, peeled and cut into large bite-size chunks 2 red apples (of your choice), peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks 1 pear (of your choice), peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks 2 (4-inch) sugarcane sticks, peeled and cut into small chunks 1 cup pitted prunes 1/2 cup dark raisins 1 orange, sliced 1 cone piloncillo, chopped or 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 ounce brandy or tequila per cup (optional) Directions: In a large pot, over high heat, boil water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, tamarind, and tejocotes. After it starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the tejocotes are soft. Remove the tejocotes from the heat, peel, remove hard ends, cut in half, and deseed. Return them to the pot. Add guavas, apples, pears, sugar cane, prunes, orange slices, and piloncillo. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring gently. Discard cinnamon sticks and cloves. Ladle into cups, making sure each cup gets some chunks of fruit. Add brandy or tequila to each cup (optional). Source: MuyBuenoCookbook.com.