December… It is a full month liturgically speaking. Fasting, feasting, and the birth of a King! The simplicity of the feast table truly comes to life during this all too often hectic season.
Whereas with other months it can be hard to come up with feast table decor, December tends to offer too many inspirations. Advent wreaths, sacrifice mangers, Jesse trees, Advent calendars, and nativity scenes all would fit in nicely.
December Dedication: Month of the Immaculate Conception
December Feast Days:
- 3rd St. Francis Xavier
- 6th St. Nicholas
- 7th St. Ambrose
- 8th The Immaculate Conception
- 9th St. Juan Diego
- 12th Our Lady of Guadalupe
- 13th St. Lucia (or Lucy)
- 14th St. John of the Cross
- 25th Christmas
- 26th St. Stephen
- 27th St. John
- 28th The Holy Innocents
- 29th St. Thomas Becket
- 30th The Holy Family
December Feast Table Bookbasket:
- All of our family’s favorite Advent and Christmas Read Alouds are right here.
- For books on Mary for the Immaculate Conception (the 8th) check out books about Mary in the May Basket
- Saint Francis Xavier of the Seven Seas
- Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend
- The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Empress of the Americas
- Lucia: Saint of Light
December Feast Table Bookbasket Wishlist:
- Set All Afire
- Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Talking Eagle and the Lady of Roses
- Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Saint Nicholas
- St. Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins
- St. Nicholas: A Closer Look at Christmas
- The Miracle of St. Nicholas
- The Legend of St. Nicholas by Demi
- The Real St. Nicholas
- The Baker’s Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale
- The Real Saint Nicholas: Tales of Generosity and Hope from Around the World
- The Church Mouse of St. Nicholas
- The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Grun
- A Story of Saint Lucy
- Lucia Morning in Sweden
- A Story of St. Stephen
- Stephen the First Christian Martyr
- Stephen’s Feast
- Through the Eyes of John
Our Family’s December Plans:
I’m not planning on adding anything new this month as December always seems to be such a full month anyways. Here are our family traditions that we’ll continue this year.
St. Andrew Novena
I love the simplicity and beauty of this devotion for Advent time. This year I’m bringing the whole family on board! You can read more of our plans here.
Jesse Tree
Our family always loves our Jesse Tree during Advent. We’ll be doing the devotions together during our Morning Basket or feast table devotion time (this is really one and the same time!). You can see our Jesse Tree here.
St. Nicholas Day
We’ll read some books about the real St. Nicholas on the night of the 5th and then the children will set out their shoes. We keep things simple with gifts of dried or fresh fruit, maybe some chocolates, books, and holy cards, and little trinkets. On the 6th, we’ll serve pancakes decorated with strawberry sauce and whipped cream to make our “St. Nicholas cakes.” We always love to watch the VeggieTales St. Nicholas movie on the 6th as well.
You can read more of our St. Nicholas Day traditions here.
Tacos for Our Lady of Guadalupe
Tacos are so unbelievably easy – they make celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe a cinch. I’ll probably start a batch of my Crockpot Refried Beans in the morning so our liturgically appropriate supper will be all ready for us by the end of the day!
St. Lucia’s Day
Little Sally will don the St. Lucia crown and help Mommy serve up a batch of Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls to the boys of the family. We’ll be eating these at the kitchen table and NOT in bed (ewww!).
After supper, we’ll make a batch of homemade cocoa (milk, a little cocoa powder, a pinch of sugar, and a pinch of salt) and pile in the car to see the Christmas light displays. It may not be Christmas yet, but as the Saint of Light, we find this activity fitting for St. Lucia’s day!
As an aside, do you call her Saint Lucia or Saint Lucy? I’ve always called her Saint Lucia. I had the American Girl Doll Kirsten when I was a girl and in the books they called her Saint Lucia. I’ve just stuck with that. What do you good cradle Catholics call her?
O Antiphons
We’ll be adding the O Antiphon ornaments to our Jesse Tree when the time comes to count down the final days till Christmas. I’m hoping to make an embroidered set this year to go along with my Jesse Tree ornaments. I plan on embroidering them in Advent purple to contrast the Jesse Tree faux redwork ornaments I made many years ago.
If you aren’t up for that. I have some printable and colorable O Antiphon ornaments in my Etsy shop.
Christmas
Once December 25th hits, we’ll be focusing on Christmas. It isn’t that I want to totally ignore the other December feast days, but with traveling, visiting, and festivities, it just never seems to happen. And, I’m good with that!
Links for December:
St. Andrew: A fisherman, a feast, and an Advent novena I’m bringing the family on board with my yearly Advent novena this year.
St. Nicholas Day in Our Catholic Home St. Nicholas pancakes, shoes filled with goodies, and a day of Advent baking are on the schedule every year at our home for December 6th.
Advent in Our Catholic Home St. Nicholas Day, St. Lucia’s Day, and other ways our family lives the time of Advent.
Advent and Christmas Read Alouds Our family favorite read alouds that have stood the test of time.
St. Lucia Crown DIY A felt St. Lucia crown that will last for years to come.
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls These are the perfect recipe for St. Lucia’s Day.
Crockpot Refried Beans To be served on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Gift Ideas:
100+ Ideas for a No-Toy Christmas
Gift Guide for your Catholic Man
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