Decorating with a Purpose

Last night we finally accomplished some real Christmas decorating.  We assembled and fluffed 14 artificial Christmas trees, hung 15 wreaths topped by red velvet bows, strung 30 feet of garland,  and fashioned a rather large, 20 piece nativity scene with camels big enough for Finan to mount.

Now, before anyone starts organizing charter buses to visit our embellished holiday home, I have to correct any misconceptions that our house actually looks this festive.  However, St. Joseph Church looks terrific!

For the last several years, the parish priest here has asked our family to set up the Giving Tree.  We make about 75 paper ornaments in various shapes, and on each one write a suggested item for needy people in our community.  Winter clothing such as gloves and scarves, hats and socks are listed, and parishioners take the ornaments and return gifts, all of which are donated to the local food pantry.  On the first Wednesday of Advent, we decorate the Giving Tree when the rest of the church is being adorned too.

The children love this evening.  They enjoy the small group of older church members who have been doing this every year since... well, forever.  They thrill at the opportunity to pull out boxes from the eerie church basement, as well as peek around the pipe organ in the huge choir loft.  They get to scale ladders and crawl under pews, and even use loud voices IN CHURCH. 

They also get to experience what it feels like to really contribute to something meaningful.

So, even though our own Christmas tree is ornamentless and may stay that way until Valentine's Day (when we get around to taking it down), I don't mind at all.  We've already got a jump on fostering the holiday spirit, and we've been blessed with the gift of anticipation and the magic that is Christmas. 

And I have not had to vaccuum up a single shattered ornament....
yet.