Simblissity: Day 2

Monday, the 2nd day of advent:

Jesse Tree

Isaiah 11:1 "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots."

A Jesse Tree is a marvelous way to learn and to remember the Old Testament and God's faithfulness as we look at how it all directs us to the glorious revelation of Christ.

The first day of Jesse Tree celebrations begins with choosing the tree. There are many ways to make a Jesse Tree, the simplest being to tack a large green triangle to the back of a door and add ornaments daily. This could be done with velcro, hooks, or buttons and does not need to be complicated to be treasured.

My family prefers to add Jesse Tree ornaments and verses on weekdays only, during our regular school hours. Our Jesse Tree decor isn't traditional, but it works fine; we use a tree branch and suspend it horizontally on the wall, hanging ornaments with string, but many Jesse Trees are vertical and are "planted" in a bucket, pot, or vase.

Our first day for the Jesse Tree begins with hunting down the perfect branch. We like one with a nice curve to it and lots of tiny branches for hanging our ribbons. I use the removable 3M or Scotch hooks. These are flexible, so they hold all shapes of tree branches and allow them to stick out from the wall a bit. Also, they leave zero residue when it comes time to take down our “tree”.

Copywork pages for Jesse tree verses, days 1 - 3
Verses for upcoming Jesse Tree days

To Explore: The Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath’s predecessor was rooted in paganism as Scandinavian peoples celebrated Saturnalia by lighting candles in a wheel made from evergreen branches. During long, dark winters the people looked at the evergreen as a symbol of hope of life and the return of the sun.

As Vikings converted to Christianity, these fierce people embraced their new faith with exuberance. The hardy evergreen came to represent eternal life rather than spring. A single candle was lighted to represent the Christ, the light of the world.

Christmas Around the World: Let’s learn about Norway!

Norway’s Viking Christmas roots
Modern Norway Traditions
Brush up on the language
Norwegian Christmas words
Norwegian Rosemaling, a beautiful form of artwork.
Here are Geography Notebooking pages that I created for my own kids to use. They aren't fancy, but my kids prefer it that way so they can make it their own creation. They work together to color the flag and mark major cities, rivers, etc. in the map section.
Norway Christmas Coloring Page
Norway Geography Coloring Page