✈️ Let’s drop in on the people of Sevilla to see what they’re up to this Advent. Looks like they’re dancing! “El Baile de los Seises” is a perennial classic for many celebrations here, including the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception today. This important title of Our Lady is definitely cause for some castanet playing!

✈️ Journey with us to Central America! Guatemala is our next stop where we join in the festivities of the local communities. “La Quema del Diablo” represents the triumph of good over evil. On the eve of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, festivals are held in honor of the Blessed Mother who crushes the head of the serpent.

Name?..Sinterklaas…
✈️ An excursion to the Netherlands is next on our list, to recognize this popular person of the season. While sometimes we see Santa and Jesus being at odds with each other for “the true meaning of Christmas” these days, Santa is derived from a saint! So in a way, asking for the intercession of St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas)… Read more

✈️ Slovenia is the next stop on our trip! You may have heard about a similiar tradition in other cultures, but today we will focus on “Parkelj.”
In legend, this gruesome creature is often paired with St. Nicholas, stalking around to make sure misbehaving children get their due. For us today, it’s a reminder of the battle between good and… Read more

✈️ Let’s ship off to Austria where we learn about some tree branches that are all about hope and new life! “Barbarazweige” teach us that even in our times of spiritual barrenness, there is the Lord who helps us through our pain and struggles of life.

In this episode, Archbishop Coyne welcomes in Tina Poet, the Director of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. Addressing both spiritual and corporal works of mercy, the Appeal is a major yearly philanthropy campaign where people donate and those donations go back into the communities of the Hartford, Litchfield, and New Haven counties.

In this week’s Catholic Transcript Online, read how an artist’s mangers are handcrafted, heartfelt expressions of love and spirit.

archdioceseofhartford.org

Built by Faith: How One Craftsman Uses His Skills to Glorify God – Archdiocese of Hartford

Built by Faith: How One Craftsman Uses His Skills to Glorify God Archdiocese News | December 3, 2025 Omar Acosta’s family is shown here in the manger he built at Sacred Heart Church in Bloomfield. Pictured, left to right, are: … Continue reading

✈️ Follow the spiders! Day 3 of our series brings us to Ukraine for a tradition that seems creepy at the surface, but maybe we can learn from these creepy crawlies, “Pavuchky,” about…decorating?? More importantly, we can learn about simple acts of kindness and help.🕸️

✈️ Next stop is a quick jaunt to Denmark where we learn about a tradition dating back to the 1930s: The Kalenderlys.
We use this candle to count down the days to the birth of Jesus, what a visual representation of this great anticipation!