What kind of symbols or decorations would be helpful?
In our opinion, it is best to let an Advent atmosphere prevail, rather than a full blown Christmas display with decorations. The best Christmas symbol to highlight is the crèche and the empty manger. The empty manger can be surrounded by shredded paper to imitate hay and to symbolize our technology driven world. A symbolic gift may be placed near the manger. One might also add a tree with just a few white lights or an image of Our Lady of Guadeloupe (Dec. 12), or a costumed St. Nicholas (Dec. 6) who kneels at the manger during the closing prayer. Another option is a series of tables with crèches that are sturdy enough to be displayed in a public setting. Participants could even bring crèches.
