New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas + Our Annual St. Nicholas Giveaway
– New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas –
Once again, as the holiday season approaches, and we bid farewell to All Saints’ Day and Martinmas, it’s time to shift our focus to the upcoming feast of St. Nicholas. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving preparations (we hopefully have family coming to visit, weather permitting!), we are all looking forward to our family’s annual Advent traditions including celebrating St. Nicholas Day which is coming up so quickly!
On the morning of December 6th, our children wake up to discover their letters to the Holy Child and St. Nicholas have disappeared, replaced with treats in their slippers. New Christmas Books, sometimes new slipper or shoes (when needed) oranges, chocolate gold coins, candy canes, and a note from St. Nicholas himself.
Over the years, our children, who are now mostly teenagers and young adults, have continued to receive a new Christmas book as an integral part of this beloved tradition of ours. After 25 years our collection is huge and yet we still keep finding wonderful books to add. I look forward to passing down these treasured Christmas books to them when they start their own families one day.
Below you will find the list of new Christmas books I picked out for this year.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Additional affiliate links included to TAN Books, Ignatius Press, Sophia Institute Press and Holy Heroes as well.
For Our Young Adults
The Road to Bethlehem: Daily Meditations for Advent and Christmas
I included this book in last year’s New Finds for Advent but it took my until this year to order a copy. During the recent sale at TAN Books I ended up ordering four more copies to give to all of our older children this Advent.
Also available from Amazon here.
Twinkle Toes
… or CelticKittens as you’ll find her over on Instagram, I picked up a copy of The Twelve Cats of Christmas. “This joyful Christmas story combines the warmth and spirit of a timeless holiday classic with the funny and familiar quirks of cats—from their ability to squeeze into small spaces to their penchant for bird-watching, and more.”
Scout – 17
Mystery in White (British Library Crime Classics)
Our older kids love mysteries. Last year I got one of the girls Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, this year it’s a British Crime Classic for our 17 year old. I haven’t read it but it sounds like one he might enjoy over his Christmas break from all the dual-credit college courses he has been taking.
“The settings of train, blizzard, and the eerily welcoming home are all engrossing. Dorothy L. Sayers characterized Farjeon as ‘unsurpassed for creepy skill in mysterious adventures.’ This reissue proves it.” ―Booklist STARRED review
Rose – 14
The Catholic Cartoon Collection No. 1
Rose recently asked for a comic book and I think she is going to LOVE The Catholic Cartoon Collection!
Enjoy the fun, hectic, and holy moments of the everyday life of Fr. Otto and his parish in this very first Catholic Cartoon collection! Artwork by Joshua Masterson
I found myself laughing and relating as I skimmed through the collection of comics!
The Light of Christmas Morning
She is also getting The Light of Christmas Morning. I just love the illustrations in this book. Another beautiful addition to our collection.
Bud – 12
“Andreas was a new Swiss Guard, and he was proud to be one of the soldiers who kept the pope safe in Vatican City. He was also very tall. From riding in small cars to crossing busy streets and even getting his uniform properly fitted, life in Rome was a big adjustment for Andreas. He felt lonely, out of place, and just too tall.
On Christmas Eve, Andreas was sad. This was his first Christmas away from his home in Switzerland, and he missed his family. But that all changed after a surprise meeting with Pope John Paul II, whose kindness filled Andreas with joy!
Based on a true story, The Too-Tall Swiss Guard is a timeless tale with awe-inspiring illustrations of the Swiss Guard, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Eternal City that teaches children about courage, generosity, and trusting in God. As readers journey with Andreas, they see how God created each person and all our unique traits for a purpose.”
Bambinelli Sunday: The Most Wonderful Surprise of All
I bought the original version back in 2013 for one of his brothers and we read it every Advent. I decided to gift our current 12 year old his own copy now that it’s been republished by Ignatius Press!
Grace – 7
I think this has to be my favorite new picture book this year! I actually re-read it aloud to my husband after reading through it the first time.
The publisher’s description describes it better than I ever could:
In charming rhyming verse, Christmas in Heaven tells the poignant story of a little boy who is sad because his grandmother has passed away. It is Christmastime, and the boy asks his grandfather where his grandmother might be. The grandfather responds by telling the boy his fondest hope—that his grandmother is in Heaven.
The boy closes his eyes as his grandfather describes that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday and that a great, festive party is taking place in Heaven. It’s a scene filled with angels and saints, music and laughter, joy and love, and most of all, abundant life!
This beautiful little book will give children an unforgettable vision of Heaven while strengthening in them the theological virtue of hope — a hope that will assist them throughout their lives in dealing with fear, grief, pain, and suffering.
And my favorite part? I LOVE how it cleverly includes the saints!
It will also introduce them to the incredible world of the saints. Indeed, the most beloved saints and angels make appearances in Christmas in Heaven, all doing the things they’re best known for:
- St. Honoré, patron saint of bakers, is making Jesus’ birthday cake
- St. Cecilia, patron saint of music, is leading the choir
- St. Lucy, patron saint of the blind, is lighting the Christmas tree
- St. Gabriel is blowing his horn
- St. Nicholas is leaving presents under the tree
- St. Thérèse is giving out flowers
- St. Francis is surrounded by little animals
- St. Patrick is handing out shamrocks
The book includes a helpful two-page glossary with short descriptions of each saint depicted.
You can also order it directly from Sophia Institute Press here.
(Or possibly win a copy below!)
When I saw the new Christmas themed Chicka Chicka book I had to grab a copy for our collection!
Joy – 5
My First Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker
“The My First Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for little children through illustrated retellings of classic ballets, operas, and musical stories paired with 6 10-second sound clips of real orchestras playing the music.“
This ended up in my shopping cart during a recent Costco shopping trip. She is going to love pushing the buttons to hear the music on each page and the illustrations are lovely!
Another sweet book with lovely illustrations!
ORDER NOW FOR CHRISTMAS
I also have a copy of My True Love Gave to Me: A Children’s Catechism for the Twelve Days of Christmas on order from TAN Books, but it hasn’t arrived yet. I plan to either include this in this year’s Advent Book Basket or give it to the kids as one of our O Antiphon Treats. Really looking forward to seeing it in person. (Also available at Amazon here.)
FREE PRINTABLES
You can download my St. Nicholas labels over at Dropbox with either Black or Green text… And here is the link to my original St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins from 2010 and the updated version in 2019!
SAINT NICHOLAS GIVEAWAY
Once again this year I will be hosting FOUR Advent and Christmas giveaways here on the blog: this St. Nicholas Giveaway, the 2024 Shower of Roses Christmas Gift Guide + Giveaway, another Advent Book Basket giveaway and finishing up with another O Antiphon giveaway! Here is the first giveaway in preparation for the feast of St. Nicholas!
Enter for a chance to win one of the following seven prizes:
Rycraft Cookie Stamps
Prize # 1 – Includes: #001 – Santa Claus, #031- Noel Stocking, #317 – Old St Nick, #357 -Santa on the Rooftop, and #413 – St Nicholas from Rycraft Cookie Stamps ($74.95 Value)
Congratulations, Megan I!
Shining Light Dolls
Prize #2 – Includes St. Nicholas Plush Doll, St. Nicholas Mini Puzzle, Our Lady of Guadalupe Mini Puzzle, Nativity Cookie Cutters and Stamps Set and Saint Friends Wooden Puzzle Set sponsored by Shining Light Dolls ($60.95 Value)
(Check out their new Advent and Christmas book and toys!)
Save 10% at Shining Light Dolls with Coupon Code: SHOWEROFROSESBLOG
Congratulations, Melissa Foote!
Sophia Institute Press
Prize # 3 – Includes Christmas in Heaven and The Melody of Love sponsored by Sophia Institute Press ($35.90 Value) – Also on Amazon here and here.
Congratulations, Cherylynn!
Author Patrick O’Hearn
Prize #4 – Incudes Our Lady of Sorrows: Devotion to Mary’s Seven Sorrows for Children and Nursery of Heaven written by author Patrick O’Hearn ($32.90 Value) – Also available on Amazon here and here.
I posted a review of the beautiful Our Lady of Sorrows book earlier this year.
Congratulations, Jessica Compton!
The Catholic Cartoon
Prize #5 – Includes: The Catholic Cartoon Collection: No 1 by Joshua Masterson ($18.99 Value)
Congratulations, Maria R!
St. Augustine Academy Press
Prize # 6 – Includes Saint Nicholas: Patron of Children sponsored by St. Augustine Academy Press ($17.95 Value)
*Our candle and handcarved Ostheimer St. Nicholas isn’t included but you can find him here, or a similar one from an Etsy shop for much less here.
I posted a review of beautiful new book last year. You can find the review here!
Congratulations, Jennifer V!
Ignatius Press
Prize #7 – Includes: Bambinelli Sunday: The Most Wonderful Surprise of All sponsored by Ignatius Press ($14.99 Value)
Congratulations, Erin D!
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
Please leave a comment on this post and then enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:
a Rafflecopter giveawayNote: If you have any trouble with Rafflecopter just send me an email or message with your name/email address (and required comment for the blog post if you are unable to add it yourself) and I can add you manually. I’ve been looking for alternatives, but haven’t found a free option yet that offers what I need for these annual giveaways that I love hosting for you all!
More Suggestions from the Archives
- Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins (2015 Review – Beautiful book!)
- Saint Nicholas: Patron Saint of Children (2023 Review – Another beautiful book!)
- A Child’s Christmas ABC Book (Another favorite!)
- Christmas Mosaic: A Review & Featured Book List
- 35 Favorite Christmas Picture Books for Children
- Feasts & Seasons :: Advent & Christmas Collection
Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023
New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023
Stacks of Books on Christmas Morning or Epiphany: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
You can find the rest of our booklists here or scroll through all our past St. Nicholas Day Celebrations in the archives.
Even more St. Nicholas themed gifts can be found in these past posts filled with Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023
Read about our family traditions:
The Advent Season in Our Catholic Home
Scroll through past posts featuring the Feast of St. Nicholas
Click here if you are on the home page to get to comment box: Leave a Comment
Celebrating Martinmas: Books, Treats and Lantern Walk
Every year on November 11th (which is also Veteran’s Day!) we love celebrating Martinmas, the Feast of St. Martin of Tours! We pull out our handmade lanterns for our annual sunset lantern walk, enjoy a treat, and read books about this inspiring saint.
Saint Martin, Saint Martin
Saint Martin rode through wind and snow
On his strong horse, his heart aglow
He rode so boldly through the storm
His great cloak kept him well and warm
By the roadside, by the roadside
By the roadside a poor man arose
Out of the snow in tattered clothes
He said please help me with my plight
Or I shall die of cold tonight
Saint Martin, Saint Martin
Saint Martin stopped his horse and drew
his sword and cut his cloak in two
One half to the beggar man he gave
And by this deed a life did save
Saint Martin, Saint Martin
Saint Martin rode through wind and snow
On his strong horse, his heart aglow
He rode so boldly through the storm
His goodness kept him well and warm
You can find Charlotte’s FREE COLORING PAGE here.
Our 12 year old created his own little St. Martin and the Beggar out of his LEGO. ❤️
St. Martin of Tours
The Mantle of Charity: St. Martin of Tours – Patron of Tailors
printed from Treasure Chest of Fun & Fact years ago (using the images I created pdfs and little folded booklets)
Snow of Martinmas and The Sword and the Cape
ST. MARTIN TREATS AND COOKIES
More details and the FREE PRINTABLE tags can be found in this post from 2013.
MARTINMAS LANTERN WALK
In many countries, including Germany, Martinmas celebrations begin at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of this eleventh day of the eleventh month. Bonfires are built, and children carry lanterns in the streets after dark, singing songs for which they are rewarded with candy. (In our case it’s usually cookies and St. Martin bags or a bonfire with s’mores !)
You can find a tutorial for making our mason jar Martinmas Lanterns here.
I go with my bright little lantern
My lantern is going with me
Above me the stars are shining
On Earth shines my lantern for me
St. Martin of Tours, ora pro nobis!
Order Your Advent Candles + Wooden Advent Wreath Giveaway!
With Advent beginning on December 1st, it’s time for my annual reminder to get prepared! 🕯️
If you’re looking to order Advent candles for your wreath, there are some lovely options below! The dear nuns at The Cloister Shoppe have beautifully crafted candles ready to ship, and they tend to sell out quickly as the season draws near. You can also check out the 100% Beeswax Advent Candles in Lavender and Rose from Forestville Candle Company, hand-poured by two talented college students. These are also available in Deep Violet and Rose!
Be sure to scroll to the bottom for a special giveaway!
100% Beeswax Advent Candles from The Cloister Shoppe
For many years, our family has been ordering the exquisite 100% Beeswax hand-poured tapers created by the talented Dominican Nuns at The Cloister Shoppe. These candles have been the centerpiece of our Advent wreath, casting a warm and comforting glow as we gather for dinner each night throughout the Advent season. The craftsmanship and love put into each taper make these candles a cherished part of our yearly celebrations.
*Also pictured above is my 2024 Fiat Liturgical Planner – you can get the 2025 one for 40% OFF with coupon code EARLYBIRD40 through tomorrow – 11/11/24!
In these pictures, you can see Joseph and Mary making their journey down our Advent Path. About seven years ago I decided to create a path down the center of our table for Advent, using our Jesse Tree ornaments for each day of the season. The first year was a simple countdown path made from doilies, but the following year, I incorporated our wooden Jesse Tree Ornaments from Jesse Tree Treasures.
The Our Lady of Guadalupe Candle in the center is from Clear Creek Abbey. (Also available from Amazon.) While I’ve yet to bring myself to burn it, it adds a lovely and meaningful touch to our Advent decorations
More Favorites from The Cloister Shoppe
Each year, I make an effort to plan in advance and order additional candles to be blessed on Candlemas (February 2). This ensures that we have them ready for the new liturgical year and the upcoming Advent season. Here are some I have purchased over the years:
- Tumbler Jar Candles – The Cloister Shoppe makes amazing Jar Candles. In the past I’ve ordered extras of the Three Wisemen Candle (perfect for Epiphany!) to give as gifts.
- Christmas Tree Creche Candle – I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to actually burn this beautiful candle!
- Beeswax Candles – You can’t go wrong with any of these! I replace our Advent Candles with Beeswax Candles for the Christmas season.
- Bayberry Christmas Eve Candle Gift Box – There is an old colonial tradition of burning a bayberry candle on Christmas Eve. I started with the Gift Box and have purchased replacement candles.
- St. Nick’s Goat Milk Soap – I first featured this in my Seven Fun Finds for Advent back in 2014. This year they have it available in red! Love it!
- Peppermint Foot Creme – Love, love, love this stuff!
Click here to visit the Cloister Christmas Shoppe!
Advent Taper Candles from Forestville Candle Company
You can also find gorgeous 100% Beeswax Advent Candles—hand-poured in Lavender and Rose by two talented Catholic college students, Abbey and Anna, over at Forestville Candle Company! 🌲 These candles are also available in Deep Violet and Rose, perfect for adding that traditional Advent touch.
Abbey and Anna sent me a couple of sample sets, and I absolutely love them! Their craftsmanship and attention to detail really shine through.
I mentioned the book All About Advent and Christmas: Sharing the Seasons of Hope and Wonder With Children (also available at Amazon) in last year’s New Finds for Advent section of my annual gift guide. Highly recommend!
Advent Candle Crafting for Children
Our children have also really enjoyed crafting their own candles using the 100% Beeswax Advent Candle Kit from Illuminated Ink. This hands-on Advent project is a wonderful way for children to actively participate in preparing for the Advent season.
You can also order the Advent Candles kit from Holy Heroes along with An Advent Hope. They also carry All About Advent and Christmas if you’d like to get all three from one place!
Save 10% with coupon code GORDON
Advent Wreaths Around Our Home
In our home, we like to set up two Advent wreaths during this special season.
The taper Advent Candles find their place in an Advent Wreath on our dining room table, where we light them each night during dinner, creating a warm and beautiful atmosphere.
Additionally, we have a larger wreath adorning the coffee table in our living room. This one is lit during our family rosary each evening, and we leave it aglow while unwrapping and reading from our cherished annual Advent Book Basket.
I still miss the pillar candles I used to buy from the Benedictine Monks when they were still making them. Currently, I opt for these 3×3 candles in purple and pink. (You can find more Advent Wreath-related posts here.)
There was one particularly ambitious year when I even hung our Advent Wreath like the Von Trapp family! 🕯️🎶
Advent Wreath Socks and Sweatshirts
Speaking of Advent wreaths, don’t miss out on the delightful Advent Wreath Socks from Socks Religious – they’re so much fun! I loved using mine the past couple Advents and look forward to taking them out again next month. I also have my eyes on this fun Advent Sweatshirt!
Wooden Advent Wreath Giveaway!
Advent is right around the corner, and while the Double-sided Advent to Christmas Wooden Wreath Set from Shining Light Dolls is sadly out of stock this year, I have one to give away to a lucky winner! 🎉
To enter, leave a comment sharing your favorite Advent tradition or a new Advent resource you’re excited to try this season and then claim your entry using the rafflecopter box below!
Click here if you are on the home page to get to comment box: Leave a Comment
If you have any issues please contact me and I can assist with getting you entered in the drawing. Domestic/US Shipping is included. International residents are welcome to enter but would be responsible for any additional shipping costs. Giveaway ends November 19, 2024 at 11:59PM PST and winner will be announced on November 20th in this post.
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY AT RAFFLECOPTER HERE or EMBEDED BELOW:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I posted a review of this sweet Wooden Advent Wreath for Children last year here.
You can also save 10% on other toys at Shining Light Dolls with coupon code: SHOWEROFROSESBLOG
“It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.” — Pope Benedict XVI
For more Advent Planning:
Celebrating the Saints: Our 2024 Saint Costumes
Celebrating the Saints: Our 2024 Saint Costumes
For the FIRST TIME EVER we had all NINE of our children together for All Saints Day! The younger kids woke up to a surprise on the morning of All Hallows’ Eve and then the four oldest kids spent some of the afternoon figuring out costumes so they could all dress up this year!
This year’s saint costumes: Crusader/St. Louis and the Last Crusade, St. Longinus, St. Martha, St. Therese as St. Joan of Arc, St. Lazarus, St. Anna Wang, St. Isaac Jogues, St. Brigid and St. Germaine.
Crusader – St. Louis and the Last Crusade
The Crusader costume was an impulse purchase at Party City a few years ago, and one of our younger boys used it for the first time last year.
St. Longinus
Pulling out one of his old costumes that he thought “might still fit!” He first wore it in 2015 for St. Maurice. Scout (Snuggles lol) wore it as St. Martin in 2021 and Bud wore it last year for St. Florian. You can find the costume here and helmet here. I purchased the sword from an Etsy shop for one of our past Hobbit parties!
Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus
One of our kids dearest friends dressed up as St. Mary to complete the Mary, Martha and Lazarus group costume!
The girls used a couple dresses from their closet adding scarves/veils, and for Lazarus our 17 year old was thrilled to get new white shoes (he really needed new shoes anyway and his size had dropped to just $25!) along with AE “Heather Frost” hoodie and joggers to add simply wrap with gauze.
St. Therese as St. Joan of Arc
She really wished she had more time to make her costume, she always comes up with something amazing, but with limited time she decided to go with something similar to her costume from 2012, using the same Fleur-di-lis shield anyway. The Sword was an Etsy purchase one year. She and her brother quickly made some armor out of foam and twine.
St. Anna Wang
Saint Anna Wang is a Chinese Roman Catholic martyr who is recognized as one of the patrons of the Catholic Church in China. She was born in 1886 in the Hebei province of China and died on July 9th, 1900, at the young age of 14. Her feast day is celebrated on July 9th each year.
I haven’t shared the pictures yet, but this past summer, my youngest daughter asked for a “Princess Party” and her older siblings all delivered big time! They all dressed up and she was in heaven. Our 19 year old really wanted this costume, but we picked it out a couple days before the party and it arrived halfway through! First half of the party she was one princess, second half she was another. Rose decided to use it for All Saints Day, inspired by Stella Marigold Art’s Paper Doll, and looked beautiful as St. Anna Wang.
St. Isaac Jogues
He has been studying American History in a live online class with Philip Campbell this year and really wanted to be St. Isaac Jogues. I was worried for a moment when the “fake blood” he had me put on his face wasn’t coming off my fingers… I was picturing him having a half red forehead the next day for our family photo, but thankfully it all washed off!
His costume was inspired by this print.
St. Brigid of Kildare
She was determined to choose a saint with red or ginger hair and wear a wig this year! The rest of the costume is handed down from years ago. The painting of St. Brigid is one of our original art paintings from Heather at Sleightholm Folk Art.
St. Germaine Cousin
O Saint Germaine, look down from Heaven and intercede for the many abused children in our world. Help them to sanctify these sufferings. Strengthen children who suffer the effects of living in broken families. Protect those children who have been abandoned by their parents and live in the streets. Beg God’s mercy on the parents who abuse their children. Intercede for handicapped children and their parents.
Saint Germaine, you who suffered neglect and abuse so patiently, pray for us. Amen +
She really wanted to wear this dress that I bought a few years back, in 2021 for Grace. It fit her perfectly! She picked out a rosary that she wanted to add and we pinned three Jellycat lambs including this one from their stuffed animal collection around the hem of the dress in addition to the one she wanted to hold. She carried her older sister’s “Woolo” by Russ Lamb (maybe similar but bigger to this one). Read about St. Germaine here!
You can see many of their saints costumes from over the years here. I also shared more pictures from this year’s All Hallows’ Eve Party here.
All Saints in Heaven, pray for us!
All Hallows’ Eve Party 2024
This year’s All Hallows’ Eve Party was extra special—it was the first time we had all nine of our kids together for the feasts of All Saints and All Souls! I shared about the surprise visit from two of our young adult kids here. We kept things simple but festive, with a cozy potluck dinner featuring our family’s favorite chili and pumpkin cupcakes.. The kids had a blast dressing up as some of their favorite saints, and we played a few fun games.
Here are some pictures from the party!
More costumes pictures and details:
Celebrating the Saints: Our 2024 Saint Costumes
Party Decorations and Games
More details and FREE printables:
All Saints’ Day Banner Tutorial and Free Printable
All Saints’ Guessing Jars: 12 More for 2024
Invitations
Obviously the bottom of the invites included time, address and RSVP details. ☺️
Party Food
What I prepared:
- Chili for a Crowd – This year I made a Quadruple Batch but some of our guests couldn’t make it at the last minute so we had a leftover pot full. It still was all eaten within a few days. My kids all love it! I used the recipe linked, but doubled the peppers and celery, replaced one can of diced tomatoes with tomato sauce, subbed one can of black beans for one of the kidney beans, and used maple syrup instead of sugar. Then quadrupled it in my two large pots. SO GOOD!
- Diced onions and cheese for on top of the Chili
- Hot Dogs and Buns
- Meatballs in the Crock Pot
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cheesecake – from Costco
- Water Bottles
- Wine – My husband pulled out a couple bottles from his favorite Southern Oregon Wineries that he brought back from all his firefighting assignments there this past summer. He was gone so much this year!
- Trader Joe’s Spiced Apple Cider, warmed
This year our guests brought:
- Pizza (A super fun HUGE pizza!)
- Side Salads
- Other Hearty Appetizers including Shrimp
- Delicious Bread for with the Chili
All Saints Guessing Jars
More details and FREE printables:
All Saints Guessing Jars – 12 More for 2024
All Saints Scavenger Hunt
More details and FREE printables:
All Saints Scavenger Hunt – Fifth Edition
Saint-O-Lanterns
Carving Our 2024 Saint-O-Lanterns
All Saints in Heaven, Ora Pro Nobis!
All Saints Guessing Jars: 12 more for 2024
Even though All Saints’ Day has come and gone, I wanted to post this year’s All Saints Guessing Jars so they can be found in the archives next year! These 12 new additions bring our collection to an incredible 130 saint-themed guessing jars!
I’ve also finally created matching guessing pages to accompany all 130 jars (plus a generic one), making it super easy to just print and use. This is always such a fun party game for All Hallows’ Eve and All Saints’ Day celebrations!
Supplies
- Wide Mouth Quart Jars
- White Lids (optional)
- Double Sided Tape
- Variety of Treats to Fill Jars
- Shower of Roses Free Printable Jar Labels
- Free Printable Guessing Pages
New Guessing Jars for 2024
St. Paul and the Snake of Malta Acts 28: 1-11
Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, when a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. They waited, expecting him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead; but when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. – Acts 28: 3-6
St. Nicholas – Patron of Children
St. Macarius the Younger – Patron of Candy Makers
Any Candy – We used Peanut M&M’s
St. Romedius of Nonsburg
…who is said to have tamed and rode the bear who tore up his horse!
St. John the Evangelist – Patron of Authors
Daniel in the Lion’s Den
St. Catherine of Sienna
… whose family gave her the childhood nickname of Euphrosyne meaning “joy”!
St. Cecilia
… died with her hands crossed in prayer. The position of her fingers—three extended on her right hand, and one on the left—were her final silent profession of faith in the Holy Trinity, Three Persons in one God.
St. Dominic and the Dog with a Torch
Dog Bones (Scooby Doo Graham Crackers)
St. Teresa of Avila
… who prayed “From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us!”
St. Ursula – Latin for ‘little she-bear’
St. Thecla
…who was thrown to the wild beasts and miraculously saved from death again!
You can download these printable labels here…
… and the corresponding printable guess pages* here.
*This printable includes guessing pages for ALL 130 options from over the years!
Here is the link to all of my FREE All Saints Party Printables!
All Saints Scavenger Hunt – Fifth Edition
Back in 2012, my husband and I created an All Saints Scavenger Hunt {Printable Party Game!} for our annual All Saints Party. The following year we created a second version featuring sixteen additional saints with new clues. In 2015, we came up with a third version of the game, with sixteen additional saints including some of the newly canonized saints at the time. In 2022, we decided to skip the huge parish party and go back to hosting a small party at home and came up with a fourth edition .
For this year’s party I decided to order the beautiful Saint Polaroids from January Jane and put together a new All Saints Scavenger Hunt to go along with them. I ended up ordering the first 3 Editions of the Heirloom Saint Polaroids plus a Custom Polaroid Saint Pack with 9 more that I hand picked. I’ll probably eventually go back and order more, but this is plenty for at least a couple years!
This year we used the 1st Edition plus St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Bl. Miguel Pro, and two Holy Couples: Franz and Fanny Jägerstätter and Louis and Zelie.
All Saints Scavenger Hunt: Fifth Edition
“Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be.” – Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Original Game Instuctions:
To play the game, pictures of the 16 featured saints are handed out to some of the adults, along with the details if they aren’t familiar with the saint. You can see some pictures of the first version of the game being played here.
The children each receive the list of clues. Sometimes we pair the younger children with the older children to form teams of two. The children need to match each clue to the correct saint. Once the child thinks he knows who it is, he will ask the person representing (holding the picture of) the saint. If he is correct the “saint” signs the line next to the correct clue on his child’s clue sheet.
How We Played It This Year:
Now that nearly all the children at our annual parties are older I just hang the saint pictures on the wall. If they are struggling I will sometimes give a clue to the whole group. Afterwards we see who (or which team) got the most correct. This year I hung my daughter’s fairy lights (similar to these) from her college dorm room and clipped the saint images to them. It looked so pretty!
FREE PRINTABLES
Download All Saints Scavenger Hunt #5 Clue Sheet
(the printable file includes the answer sheet)
I also typed up a name tag/label for each saint with their full names to go along with the first names on the polaroids for our game. You can download that here if you’d like to use it too.
This year I ordered Saint Polaroids from January Jane for our fifth All Saints Scavenger Hunt! So excited. I also ended up ordering the beautiful new Humans of Heaven book and a mug for my mom! If you’d like to place an order you can save 10% with coupon code: LXZ-NTU27UL or by clicking this link.
Note: I ended up using January Jane’s 1ST EDITION Saint Polaroids and adding four more from a Custom Pack I put together. (For this game I added: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Bl. Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez. As well as two of the Married Couples Louis and Zelie Martin and Franz and Fanny Jägerstätter.) I also ordered the 2ND and 3RD EDITIONS and a few more in that Custom Pack to use in the future. (Those 5 more I ordered in the Custom Pack were the rest of the Holy Couples – Karl and Zita of Austria, Gianna and Pietro Molla, Chiara and Enrico – as well as a couple duplicates I wanted to use for gifts. I’ll need to order six more if I want to come up with two more games using the Saint Polaroids that include 16 saints each. We’ll see!)
Find more FREE PRINTABLES for your All Hallows’ Eve and All Saints’ Day Parties here!
Christmas Came Early
Look who I found at the airport late Wednesday (10/30) night!!! They were supposed to land within 15 min of each other, but Clare’s flight came in a little early at 10:15, and James was delayed and landed at 11:25.
Three weeks ago, on October 10th, I managed to talk James into squeezing in a quick visit from Arizona on his ‘weekend,’ and then Clare from California! The little girls had been asking about James everyday and missing him so much. I got to fly down and see him recently but none of the rest of the family had seen him since those four days last February (while I was in bed recovering from my first surgery) after he graduated from the academy to quickly pack and move down to the southern border.
Keeping this secret was so HARD—I ended up having to tell Catherine, but the rest of the family had no clue! Well maybe a couple clues but I think they mostly thought I was just losing my mind! 😉
The toughest part was getting John home. He was originally coming for dinner and to stay the night to see my parents, but after a long day at work he still had some studying for one of his online UMary MBA classes, so texted saying he was going to come out in the morning instead… I finally just texted his girlfriend (who is off at college finishing her senior year) and asked her to help me convince him to come spend the night after he finished studying. She pulled it off and he got here about five minutes before we pulled back in the driveway at midnight! (Thank you, Lanie!)
It was so exciting bringing them home, surprising John and waking Sean up to see who was out in the living room! ❤️
A few video clips can be found over in my Instagram post.
I could hardly wait for our five youngest to wake up and find everyone here for the first time since August 2023. (442 days to be exact.) Way too long! It might be awhile before we can make it happen again since our oldest son’s requests for time off at Thanksgiving and Christmas were both denied. I couldn’t sleep and told Sean in the middle of the night that it felt like Christmas!
I shared a few more short video clips from early Thursday (10/31) over on Instagram.
We squeezed so much into our few days all together!!! My parents had arrived Wednesday afternoon just in time to carve pumpkins with us, so after all the early morning surprises we got to spend time with them too, my Uncle Tom and Aunt Toni came for an afternoon visit, then we hosted our annual All Hallows’ Eve party Thursday evening!
Friday started with Mass for the feast of All Saints, brunch with my parents before they started the long drive back to Southern Oregon and early voting for our college girl and a few others (the rest of us voted on Election Day).
I had booked a photographer for Friday afternoon. That had really confused some of our kids since two of their siblings weren’t expected to be here! When I told John he asked, “Will James and Clare be around?”
I just answered “Wouldn’t that be nice?!” and he added “so no”… 😏
This was our very first professional family picture and we asked the photographer to also take individuals of everyone. We really wanted to do something like my mom did 20 years ago while you can still see the age span between the oldest and youngest, and before the older ones start getting married.
A quick photo on the front porch just before he arrived. ❤️
It was drizzling outside so hopefully the family picture turns out! Then we had a family movie night after dinner.
Saturday I got up early and started making Apple Puff Pancakes for everyone! This has been a fall family favorite forever and I had to squeeze it in while they were all home.
Then the kids played card games, FaceTimed with my youngest brother and their newest cousin and just enjoyed the remaining time we all had together before we had to take James back to the airport on Saturday afternoon. Clare flew back to Thomas Aquinas College very early Sunday morning. We were definitely grateful for the extra hour of sleep! There were lots of tears… It makes me so happy that they all love each other so much and having this time was such a gift. ❤️
O Good God, we thank Thee, that Thou hast given us children, made them heirs of heaven by holy baptism, and entrusted to us their training. Penetrate us with a sense of responsibility; assist us in the care of their health, but especially in the preservation of their innocence and purity of heart. Grant that we may teach them early to know and serve Thee, and to love Thee, with their whole heart. Grant that we ourselves may carefully avoid all that we must forbid them, and may assiduously practice all that we should inculcate to them. We commend them, O God, to Thy paternal care and to the guardianship of Thy holy angels. Bless, O heavenly Father, our little efforts! May our children’s advancement in years be to Thy honor, and may they persevere to the end! Amen.
~ from Mother Love
Saint-O-Lanterns
Every fall we have a little family tradition of carving Saint-O-Lanterns to light up our front porch for our annual All Hallows’ Eve party with symbols of saints and our beautiful Catholic faith! I love seeing everyone’s creativity year after year.
This year we honored St. Andrew, the Patron of Scotland and Golfers, with a golf-themed pumpkin. A dove for Rose’s recent Confirmation, and a Celtic cross paid tribute to the inspiring Irish St. Brigid. One of the boys also carved Lazarus emerging from the tomb and our youngest decided on a sweet little lamb for St. Germaine.
Confirmation Dove
St. Scholastica, pray for us!
Celtic Cross
St. Brigid of Ireland, pray for us!
St. Andrew, Patron of Golfers
St. Andrew, Patron of Golfers and Scotland, pray for us!
St. Germaine’s Lamb
St. Germaine, pray for us!
Lazarus Emerges from the Tomb
Sts. Mary, Martha and Lazarus, pray for us!
Here is the post with pictures of the kids carving this year’s Saint-O-Lanterns.
Carving Our 2024 Saint-O-Lanterns
Here are the pictures from our annual Saint-O-Lantern carving last Wednesday! My parents had just arrived from Southern Oregon for a quick visit, making it extra special!
I have a little catching up to do on the blog, before I get started posting all things Advent and all the fun annual Christmas giveaways! If I don’t share these now, I know they’ll never make it onto the blog—and my younger kids will be asking once again why I didn’t document it like I did for the older ones. 😉
Enjoy the pictures and stay tuned for the giveaways I have coming up soon!
You can see this year’s Saint-O-Lanterns all lit up here,
or scroll through all our past Saint-O-Lanterns in the archives.
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