Update: You can see close-up pictures of our tree and ornaments here.
Back in 2007 I started printing coloring pages for each day of Advent to coordinate with our Jesse Tree. Since every year the number of days in Advent is different, it is necessary to adjust the reading list slightly each year.
This year I decided to rearrange our Jesse Tree ornaments to coordinate with the New Catholic Picture Bible
I have also updated the links to the coloring pages we will be using this year. (I noticed that many of my old links no longer are working, that’s the problem with linking to artwork that is not my own…Links are often moved or deleted!) My older children have opted to color selections from their copies of Stories from the Old Testament (Marty)
For those of you that have been asking, I made the ornaments for our Jesse Tree by looking at the coloring pictures found in Advent and Christmas for the Christian Family which is part of the Celebrating the Faith in the Home Series from Emmanuel Books. As for the tree/banner. I just cut it out free hand, hot glued it the a blue felt background and then a couple weeks later attached jingle bells with safety pins to hang the ornaments from since my children kept knocking them off! 😉 SUPER EASY!! Plus the jingle bells look and sound so cheery and Christmasy!
Anyhow, here is our list for this year:
November 28 ~ Creation
Symbol: Earth
Readings: Gen .1:1-31; 2:1-4
NCPB
Coloring: Creator of Heaven and Earth
: Adam & Eve in Paradise, Pages 10-11 (first half) November 30 ~ Fall of Man
Symbol: Serpent
Readings: Gen. 3:1-7 and 23-24
: Adam & Eve in Paradise, Pages 10-11 (second half; optional pages 12-13)December 1 ~ Noah’s Ark
Symbol: Ark
Readings: Gen. 6:5-8, 13-22; 7:17, 23, 24; 8:1, 6-22
: Noah’s Ark, Pages 14-15This is another great option: Noah’s Ark Coloring Page Two-by-two
December 2 ~ Abraham
Symbol: Stars
Readings: Gen. 12:1-3
: The Promise to Abram; Abraham’s Sacrifice, Pages 16-17Coloring: Abraham
December 3 ~ Isaac
: Abraham’s Sacrifice, Pages 18-19December 4 ~ Jacob’s Ladder
Symbol: Ladder
Readings: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15
: Jacob and Esau, Pages 20-21Symbol: Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors
Readings: Gen. 37:23-28; 45:3-15
: Joseph and his Brothers, Joseph in Potiphar’s House & Joseph’s Greatness, Pages 22-27December 6 ~ Moses
Moses: Ex. 2:1-10
: The Ten Commandments and Miracles in the Dessert, Pages 39-41Coloring: Moses and the Ten Commandments
Here is also a Moses Maze and our simple Ten Commandments Lapbook!
December 7 ~ Joshua
Readings: Joshua 6:2-5; Jos. 1,3,6-11
: Rahab and the Two Spies; The Taking of Jericho; and Joshua Conquers the Land of Canaan, Pages 42-47
December 8 ~ Ruth
: The Devotion of Ruth, Pages 48-49Coloring: Ruth gathering wheat or this version which we will use this year
December 9 ~ Samuel
Readings: Sam. 3:1-18
: The Child Samuel; King Saul; Saul Disobeys God, Pages 52-57December 10 ~ Jesse
Symbol: Shepherd’s staff
Readings: 1 Sam. 16:1-13
: David and Saul, Pages 58-59For Jesse we will color this Shepherd with Staff
December 11 ~ David
Readings: 1 Sam. 17:12-51
: David and Goliath; David Loves Saul; Saul’s Death; The City of David , Pages 60-67
December 12 ~ Solomon
: King Solomon; The Temple of Solomon, Pages 70-73
December 13 ~ Elijah
Readings: 2 Kings 17:2-4, 6; 2 Kings 17-18:21-39
: The Prophet Elijah; The Prophet Elisha, Pages 76-79
December 14 ~ Jonah
Readings: Jonah 2:1-2, 11
: The Prophet Jonah, Pages 80-81December 15 ~ Isaiah and Jeremiah
Symbol: Stone
Isaiah: Isaiah 7:14 or Ecclesiastes 48:25
Jeremiah: Jeremiah 30:21-22
NCPB: Isaiah and Jeremiah, Pages 82-83
Coloring: Bible and Scroll
December 16 ~ Raphael
Symbol: Fish
Readings: Tobit 11:7-8
NCPB
December 17 ~ Judith
Symbol: Sword
Readings: Judith 13:7-10
NCPB
Coloring: Hummmm… I think I am going to look for a picture of just a sword for my little ones to color since the only other one I can find is a little too much for my kiddos!
December 18 ~ Daniel
Symbol: Lion
Readings: Daniel 6:1-29
NCPB
Symbol: Angel with lily
Readings: Luke 1:26-38
NCPB
: The Annunciation, Pages 94-95Coloring: St. Gabriel by Charlotte; and The Annunciation; or this beautiful Conceived by the Holy Spirit
Symbol: Angel
Reading: Luke 1:11-13
: The Visitation, Pages 96-97Coloring: The Visitation (my favorite) or this version is another option
December 21 ~ St. John the Baptist
Symbol: Shell with water
John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8
: The Visitation, Pages 96-97 (Optional: The Baptism of Jesus, pages 112-113)December 22 ~ Joseph
Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25
NCPB
: The Birth of Jesus, Pages 98-99Coloring: Here is one of St. Joseph; St. Joseph the Worker (by Charlotte)
December 23 ~ Mary
Symbol: Lily
Reading: Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38
NCPB
December 24 ~ Birth of Jesus
Symbol: Infant Messiah
Reading: John 1:1-14
NCPB
Coloring: I just LOVE this coloring page for The Birth of our Lord!
We will also add the following O Antiphon Ornaments (Dec 17-23):
O Wisdom (Jesus is Wisdom): Sirach 24:2; Symbol: Open bookO Emmanuel (Jesus is Emmanuel): Isaiah 7:14; 33:22 Symbol: Holy Eucharist
I have a question about the Jesse Tree Tea.
Do you read the readings as you go along and eat each food after each reading, or do you do all the readings at once and then eat all the food all at once?
I am planning a Jesse Tree Tea with a friend and when we did the Holy Week Tea together (10 kiddos together) it got kind of long for the littles. Which is fine for teaching patience.
Just wondering how to make it flow smoother.
Thanks so much Jessica!!
So glad you are back and safe, and had a good time!
THANK YOU! I have been making two Jesse Trees over the past few weeks–one for us and one for my godson–and I'm almost done (late, I know) but was really struggling with how to "present" the readings. Matching them to the children's Bible (that we and he already has) solves that problem–thank you! All of your ideas are wonderful and I hope to incorporate many of them as time allows and our children grow. You are amazing!
Thank you for always being so helpful!! God bless your family with a delightful season of preparation of the celebration of Christ's birth and second coming!
Jamie ~ Since we have been reading these stories every year, we just all sat down around the table and, before enjoying the tea, we went though all the menu items and our children took turns telling everyone the story it symbolized. It didn't take long and so cute to hear the stories in their own words. Does that help at all?
Thank you Jessica for posting all this great Jesse Tree information. I have found it very helpful over the last couple years and when people ask me about the Jesse Tree and I often refer them to your site 🙂
I also wanted to let you know that I started a Jesse Tree link up on my blog and I want to invite you to link up so that more people can check out your site.
Blessings ~ Josee
I LOVE your Jesse tree ornaments! About how big are your circles in diameter? I'm going to try to make some myself. =)
Thanks!
Sarah ~ The diameter is 2 3/4" on my felt circles. Hope that helps!
Jessica,
I have a question about the picture bible you use for the readings. Does it include all the readings? The reason I ask is because none of our children's bibles contain all the stories. I've had to pull our family bible and that just makes things so cumbersome. For instance, I wasn't familiar with the story of Judith and it wasn't in any of our children's bibles. When I looked up the passage in the "big" bible, I could see it was only a fragment of the story and I quickly read back a bit to see what was going on. I was a bit flummoxed at having to try to condense that so my little kids could understand, but not be told more than they need to know. I guess that's why our children's bibles skipped it! Anyway, I really long to have only one book that I can flag for each day's reading. My children love hearing the stories and really want the whole thing, not just the verse that coincide's with the ornament.
Thank you for all your hard work. We've usually given up the Jesse tree by now (after trying for 3 years) because I'm always juggling ornaments, readings, and a busy schedule!
Mirissa ~ I am so sorry for taking so long responding to your comment. Yes, the New Catholic Picture Bible (NCPB) that we use includes all of the stories. In the post for each symbol I have listed the page numbers and story titles from the NCPB. For Judith we read "The Bravery of Judith" etc. . . Using this picture bible really does streamline the readings for the younger children and makes it so much more doable on a daily basis. Hope that helps!
I'm glad that I've found this showerofrosesblog.com blog. I'm so amazed by your way of thinking and writing. Have you thought about writing a book?
I'm visiting you again, today, Jessica, as we're planning for this Advent! Love your planning to go with readings from the NCPB (which we already own!) Now . . . to get painting on our ornaments! 🙂
Keeping you in my prayers! I know I haven't commented in FOREVER but you are such a blessing!
Best,
sarah
Hi Jessica,
We have never done a Jesse Tree before, this is our first year. Since this year Advent started early would you mind posting which symbol goes with what day?
God Bless.
Hi Jessica!
I have a question about when to start the readings for the Jesse tree. I am "new" to this tradition and plan on using it starting this year (2012) (got those lovely ornaments from The Jesse Tree over at Esty!). Since Advent begins on different days each year, you mentioned having to adjust the readings each year as a result. There are 28 readings for the 4 weeks if Advent begins on Nov 27th, the earliest date it can begin. This year it begins on Dec 2nd. Will you begin your Jesse tree on Dec 2nd or Nov 27th and do all 28 readings? If you begin on Dec 2nd, do you omit certain readings and if so, which ones should one choose to omit? Since my daughter is studying ancient civilizations with Old Testament studies, I'm considering doing ALL the readings, at least for this year and also since it's the first year we're doing the Jesse tree.
Any help/info you can offer would really be appreciated to get us "started" with this wonderful tradition for Advent and Christmastide!
Blessings!
We will begin on December 2nd, the first day of Advent. Some years, when we still want to complete all the readings we will occasionally read two (for some of the days of Advent) so we can squeeze them all in before Christmas.
Thanks for your info! I've been looking around the internet and it seems folks start at all different times – some always Dec 1st and others on the start of Advent. This helps me think about how to celebrate it. I think, too, that starting on the First Sunday of Advent is best – appropriate. Plus, O Antiphons, Advent wreath, Mary/Christ candle, books/stories, feasts…!!!!!!! FUN!!!
Thanks, Jessica!
I've spent the past hour trying to find kid-friendly versions of the Jesse Tree readings, and this was exactly what I needed! I actually just picked up the Fr. Lovasik Bible at the thrift store a couple days ago – thank you for taking the time to find and record the page numbers! I now remember reading this post a few years ago when my son was just a newborn 🙂
Hi Jessica! Just wondering if you could give me a rough sketch of your day during advent. Ive got three littles and just hoping to have a good plan before the season starts. Thanks so much for your time and talents!