My Advent Angel How-To Guide

My Advent Angel is a tradition that is meant to be meaningful and stress-free. Here's how.

My Advent Angel can be thought of as a faith-filled alternative to high-pressure traditions like Elf on the Shelf (which according to the New York Post, some parents find “annoying” and “stressful”), but it goes way beyond the idea of moving an elf around the house everyday. My Advent Angel is meant to simplify your traditions and infuse them with meaning and memory where it matters most—in how we practice our faith—without the baggage of materialism.

The tradition of My Advent Angel offers a way to move beyond the Santa-centric hustle and bustle, offering a simple, faith-filled way to celebrate Advent. At the busiest time of the year, My Advent Angel is an invitation to slow down: read a book aloud together; talk about how to love others well; pray together as a family; unplug from screens with the classic gift of a doll.

So how do you make the most of My Advent Angel? 

THE MY ADVENT ANGEL DOLL

Let your My Advent Angel Doll “fly” to new spots in your home, from the mantle to the Christmas tree, as a gentle reminder to practice virtues for Baby Jesus. Move it weekly at the lighting of each Advent candle or after Sunday church for a fun family search, keeping the tradition effortless.

The My Advent Angel Doll can also be used simply as a doll. In a screen-dominated world, the My Advent Angel Doll fosters creative, imaginative play. Recent research* shows that doll play activates brain regions tied to social skills and empathy, surpassing the benefits of tablets or problem-solving games. Even when played with alone, dolls encourage children to explore others’ thoughts and feelings, nurturing imagination and emotional growth. My Advent Angel is the ideal companion for meaningful "pretend play." 

The My Advent Angel Doll also acts as a comforting reminder of our guardian angels. Angels are mentioned over 300 times in the Bible and are a very real part of the spiritual world. Isn't it funny that many spend years cultivating the idea of fake magical worlds like the North Pole, when we have a very real world of angels around us that is barely ever talked about? St. John Chrysostom, one of the great early Church thinkers, tells us, "The whole air about us is filled with angels." How amazing is it that we each have our very own guardian angel waiting to help us and protect us? My Advent Angel is a wonderful way to help children develop a special bond with their guardian angel, fostering spiritual growth in a joyful, relatable, and tangible way.

THE MY ADVENT ANGEL BOOK

Our book is captivating in its words and stunning in its pictures. The illustrations (created by Anna-Therese Fowler) are truly gorgeous and special. My Advent Angel serves as a character in the book, who tells the story of Christmas to children and also encourages them to be good, not for presents and Santa, but out of love for Jesus and others.

The book fosters valuable family time, prompting discussions about faith, virtue, and the true meaning of Christmas. It is written in child-friendly verse which makes it fun to read aloud and brings up things like:

• Character Building: Encourages virtues like love, patience and self-control

• Salvation History: Explores Creation, the Fall, Jesus’s life and Resurrection

• Christmas Facts: Teaches about the Nativity, the Star of Bethlehem, and how angels played a role

The My Advent Angel Book makes the story of Christmas feel personal. It not only tells children about the first Christmas, it shares the story of God's love for mankind, and how He loves each of us, as if there were only one of us.

THE MY ADVENT ANGEL VIRTUE CARDS

My Advent Angel Virtue Cards guide you through Advent with daily reflections and simple, attainable ideas to make each day of the season meaningful by loving those in your own home, school, and community.

My Advent Angel Virtue Cards come on high-quality, premium 4x6 cards (printed in the USA!) with 28 reflections to guide you through the four weeks of Advent, including:

• Child-friendly definitions of the Fruit of the Spirit 

• Practical explanations of how virtues can be practiced

• Prompts for easy family discussion

• Over 100 ideas of how to show love to Jesus and others

Instead of focusing on material rewards, these My Advent Angel Virtue Cards teach children that choosing virtue has its own reward, helping them build the habit of doing good in the daily little ways that make a big difference.

THE MY ADVENT ANGEL CHRISTMAS NOVENA PRAYER CARD

The Christmas Novena Prayer Card offers the perfect opportunity to pray together as a family each day of Advent. It is short and sweet. Traditionally prayed from November 30 through Christmas, it is a novena that invites asking for special favors, while reflecting on the power and beauty of the Nativity.

When to start the My Advent Angel tradition?

If you would like to start the tradition of My Advent Angel on the first week of Advent that is wonderful. But if you would rather wait to give My Advent Angel as a gift for St. Nicholas Day or Christmas, that is perfectly fine too. While the Virtue Cards offer reflections for the full four weeks of Advent, they can be started at anytime. It's meant to be flexible and work for you!

Who is My Advent Angel for?

• Children—the perfect gift for Advent, St. Nicholas Day, Christmas, Baptism, Baptismal Birthday, First Reconciliation, First Communion, or Birthday

• Classrooms and parish programs

• Anyone, from nursing home residents to new parents, wanting a faith-filled reminder of God's love for them

Keep Jesus at the Heart of Christmas

The way the world anticipates Christmas often steals the spotlight from who the season is about: Jesus Christ.

When we keep Jesus at the heart of Christmas, we are called to anticipate not only the celebration of His birth, but we should make room in our hearts for Him to enter our lives in new and beautiful ways. This can mean different things for each person and may change year to year, but no matter who you are, it always involves loving those around us well: Giving attention to the ones right in front of us, and not to the world of screens. Focusing on the things we can create together instead of what we can consume. Giving more than we receive.

My Advent Angel encourages that loving anticipation of Christmas in your family.

Our huggable, hand-stitched doll, beautifully illustrated book, and Virtue Cards encourage reflection, creative play, and faith-filled moments—creating lasting family memories. As this new tradition spreads its wings, we hope you find My Advent Angel to be a meaningful and fun way to keep Jesus at the heart of Christmas.

*Source: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2020

*Doll is only suitable for children over the age of 3 due to small parts.

Written by: Catherine Fowler Sample

Hi, I'm Catherine—mom of three, wife to one very amazing husband, and the heart (and night owl) behind My Advent Angel.

Years ago I worked with the producer of Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ to write and produce the film The Dating Project. I’m also the author of Gather Together: Recipes and Reflections to Build Friendships Around the Table (Ave Maria Press). Both of those projects grew out of the same desire that still motivates me now: to build up relationship culture around Jesus—whether that be in dating, at a dinner party, or in the domestic church. If My Advent Angel helps even one child fall more in love with Jesus, my heart is full.

Come say hello on Instagram @myadventangel—I answer every message myself (usually between homeschooling and drinking too much coffee).