Gaude! Gaude!

It's Gaudete Sunday!  That means the third Sunday of Advent, and it's time to rejoice!  The Catholic Church uses the color violet - not purple - for the first, second and fourth Sundays, the color symbolizing penitential seasons, and rose (not pink) for third Sunday.  Rose is a "brightening" of the color purple - oops, violet - and symbolic of joy as our Savior's birth draws ever nearer.

This year we decided to put our tree up on the first Sunday of Advent, but not to decorate it with anything but white lights until Christmas Eve.  However, this proved too drab.  My son Brian had the idea to decorate it as an Advent Tree, using only purple violet decorations, and adding rose on the third Sunday.

I am happy to say that it has turned out beautifully, in our opinion anyway.  It's simple, to be sure, but we are very happy with it and I think it will be our tradition from now on.

Violet only, the first two weeks of Advent.

Today we added rose ribbons and ornaments.  I also had the idea to display the cards we received on the tree.

We will most likely keep it like this, and add white ornaments on Christmas.  This year we are also doing another tree up in the rec room, and that one will have the family ornaments we've amassed throughout the years.  Or maybe we'll strip this one on Christmas Day and redecorate it.  I don't know yet.

 Orna-Man!