By Paula Day

The lighting of the first of the four Advent candles this Sunday will be a quiet statement in opposition to the October lighting of department store Christmas tree lights. While the liturgical calendar says "Advent," commercial calendars insist on saying "Christmas."

Advent, the four weeks before Christmas that represent the period of humankind's waiting for a living promise to be fulfilled, has all but been lost in the modern world's pre-Christmas activities.

Once a season of penance and self-denial similar to Lent, the four weeks have become a season of frantic shopping and frenetic socializing for many. The practice of having the Christmas Cantata "three weeks before Christmas to get it out of the way'" expresses the loss of perspective in the modern celebration of Christmas, according to Milo Thornberry, director of Alternatives.

Alternatives is a 14-year-old, non-profit organization based in Ellenwood, GA, that works to change the way holidays are celebrated, particularly the central Christian holy days of Christmas and Easter. The group creates, collects and publishes resource materials that help people to celebrate without falling prey to the cultural equation that "celebration equals consumption." Alternatives began 14 years ago by finding less commercial and non-commercial ways to celebrate Christ's birth, and its director has a number of suggestions to bring more joy and simplicity to Advent and Christmas.

His first suggestion is to "let Advent be Advent." He maintains that people must do something to get away from the brainwashing of modern advertising that reaches fever pitch the last six weeks of the year. He suggests avoiding the shopping malls and watching less television. Instead, he suggests using the four weeks as a preparation period similar to Lent -- a kind of retreat.

Thornberry noted that Catholics, who have the church's daily readings from Scripture to use, have a valuable resource already available to them. During Advent the readings focus on Old Testament prophets, particularly Isaiah and the Messianic passages foretelling a savior whose message would be "good news to the poor." These readings can be used by individuals, families and prayer groups for prayerful meditation.

Pre-Christmas activities -- shopping, cooking, cleaning -- often become the woman's chores in a household. Thornberry suggests involving the whole family in these activities to prevent them from being burdensome. Family activities during Advent could be preparing and lighting an Advent wreath, sharing favorite family activities, making a Promise Tree, sending peace notes (See related article: 'Family Activities To Prepare For Christ's Birthday')

The Santa Claus tradition, Thornberry feels, has "no socially redeeming qualities." Santa Claus theology, expressed in the lyrics of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," suggests an omniscient being who knows if children are good or bad and rewards the good, not with heaven, but with toys. "What does this say to the poor child whose parents cannot afford to give many, if any, toys at Christmas?" he asks. For persons interested in reconsidering the Santa Claus tradition, Thornberry has prepared a family resource, "Christmas and Santa Claus."

Rediscovering old ways of giving is another Alternatives' suggestion for improving the quality of Advent and Christmas celebration. Gifts of time, skill and homemade gifts can often signify the gift of self much more forcefully than a purchased gift. Thornberry emphasizes the need to include the whole family in discussions of alternative giving. He points out that the gift of time spent visiting the sick, the imprisoned, the lonely, is a gift to Jesus in the least of His brothers and sisters.

Making Christmas celebrations inclusive of people without family is another suggestion. He notes this is contrary to a cultural bent to make Christmas a "family affair." Finding room for the outsider, the person without a family, the host welcomes Him for whom there was "no room at the inn."

The theme of this year's Alternatives Christmas packet is "Remember whose birthday it is." Thornberry suggests a very practical way to keep this focus. After Christmas, do a cost analysis of how money was spent at Christmas -- how much went for gifts decorations, cards, food and travel. To whom were gifts given? The boss? The pet? Set aside a significant amount -- Alternatives suggests 25 percent -- to be diverted the next Christmas to the needy or for charitable donations. Early in the pre-Christmas season, retrieve the analysis and keep it in mind while making up the new gift list. Resist the temptation to remove significant recipients on the list in order to include the poor. Rather, make adjustments in the direction of simplicity in all gift giving. By using this suggestion you can help bring the good news to the poor on Christmas.

These suggestions, Thornberry acknowledges, are countercultural. To implement them, people need support and encouragement. Thornberry believes the Church community can give that support. For him, the consumer-oriented way of celebrating Christmas is a spiritual concern. "We waste too much, we consume too much. This has harmful implications for the planet, for other people and for the human spirit."

As Thornberry has pointed out, support to withstand the onslaught of commercialism is available. The liturgy's opening prayer for the First Sunday of Advent pleads: "All powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find an eager welcome at His coming and call us to his side in the Kingdom of Heaven."

(For an Alternatives catalog of available materials contact Alternatives, PO Box 429, Ellenwood, GA 30049; 770-961-0102.)