Preparing the manger is the practice of preparing a soft bedding in the manger for the Christ Child by using little wisps of straw as tokens of prayers and good works performed through the penitential season of Advent. This is originally a French custom that quickly spread to other countries. Every night the child is allowed to put in the crib one straw for each act of devotion, good work or sacrifice performed. "Thus the Christ Child, coming on Christmas Day, finds an ample supply of tender straw to keep Him warm and to soften the hardness of the manger's boards" (Francis Weiser,Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, 1958).
With this theme in mind to get a heads up here is a free magnetic printable of the Christ Child for your refrigerator door with a wreath of flowers around him.
The idea is similar.The printable is useful for kids to motivate to be kind to each and to offer up good works as we do for advent and each good works gets one flower moved up to Child Jesus to finally create a full wreath! Great motivator and you will soon have sibling rivalry on who get the more roses for Advent...
How to:1.Download the free printable here.
2.Use one magnetic sheet from Staples to print it out using 8 by 10 inches link here if you want to buy it. Any print shop should be able to print it for you too on magnetic sheet too..
3.Cut it out carefully separating the Christ Child and the roses.
4.Motivate them often to offer up their good works each day and restart once wreath if formed!
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