Zen Advent Calendar

Zen Advent Calendar

Zen Advent Calendar begins today! An invitation to slow down, reflect and prepare for winter through poetry and photography as we await the winter solstice and holiday season. Please follow on Instagram.

I will share various quotes, sayings and poems that illuminate this season of darkening days and the quiet, soft lights we shine to see and stay warm. Accompany them will be photos I take during my daily life here in Oga, Japan. I hope they resonate with something in you too. Please use this calendar as a way to connect with winter, your own beliefs and the holidays you celebrate.

Growing up in a Catholic household, we lit one candle each week during December in preparation for Christmas. My mom also made a huge calendar out of felt in the shape of a Christmas tree. Every day we hung one more felt ornament on the tree, eagerly awaiting Christmas morning. Of course, as kids we loved getting gifts on Christmas morning, but I have grown to appreciate the routine of advent. I may not have understood it at the time - seemingly only focused on the end game of Christmas - but my parents were creating a ritual that helped me settle into the sacred season of winter.

Dairyuji temple does not celebrate Christmas, instead we are preparing for New Year’s Eve and the ringing of bells. Luckily, both winter traditions are embraced by our family.

Winter can feel cold, harsh and long. But what wisdom and secretes can it reveal to us? What does slowing down help us understand more deeply? Let’s go on this advent journey together, day by day.