It is the first Sunday of Advent. Time to put up the Christmas tree.

When I was a child, Advent was something others celebrated. My family had no liturgical tradition.

I married into a family with a long liturgical church history. They celebrate the seasons of the church year. And I have come to appreciate them.

Putting up the tree on that first Sunday in Advent is something we have done for decades. It lets people know that the Christmas season is upon us.

We have a traditional division of labor. I put up the tree and string the lights on it. When that is done, my wife and children hang the decorations. After that, we usually have family or friends over for some seasonal treats.

There is one tradition, one that has been celebrated here in past years, that won’t be happening this year. There will be no cat in the tree.

If I haven’t posted a picture of my daughter’s cat, Willow, nesting in the tree by early December, people write and ask what has happened. This year the answer is simple: the cats have moved out.  And yes, they took my daughter with them.

She will help decorate the tree today, but she won’t be bringing the cats with her. No Willow in the tree for 2023.

So for those people who ask every year for pictures of Willow nesting in our Christmas tree, here are some pictures from the past.

And now that we have done that, maybe it is time to consider what Advent means for all of us. There is so much more to it than a cat in a tree.