The Jesse Tree, a cherished Advent tradition rooted in Scripture and rich with symbolism, offers a beautiful opportunity to journey through salvation history while fostering anticipation of the birth of Christ.
As Christmas decorations adorn shopping centres and calendars fill with invitations for end of year events, it is easy to get swept up in the busyness and worldliness of the festive season. It is such a blessing then that the Church, in Her wisdom, draws us to quiet contemplation during Advent. As parents, we must make a particular effort to help our children prepare to receive the ultimate gift that is Emmanuel, Jesus, at Christmas. One way of doing this is through the tradition of the Jesse Tree.
What is a Jesse Tree?
The Jesse Tree is named after Jesse, father of King David and referenced in Isaiah 11:1: A shoot shall come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. This tradition prepares us for Christmas by revisiting key stories from Jesus’ own family tree. It begins at creation and journeys through to the nativity, recounting the promises made and fulfilled by God to Israel. Each day of Advent has its own designated Bible story and accompanying symbol which is added to a tree. These serve as a visual representation of God’s love for us throughout history.
The Jesse Tree - a family tradition
My journey with the tradition began as a young child. I have very distinct memories of my siblings and me creating a symbol that was added to the tree in our church beside those of other families in our parish.
Fast forward many years, I found myself as a young mother wanting to find a meaningful way to mark Advent and prepare for Christmas as a family. Needing something toddler friendly, I decided to reimagine the Jesse Tree of my childhood. I made a Christmas tree out of coloured cardboard and a quick Google search led me to some colouring sheets, with 25 symbols and a small Scripture verse attached.
As my children grew the tradition grew with them, and I wanted to use something more permanent than the colouring sheets. I happened upon a Jesse Tree pattern and devotional, and without a sewing bone in my body, I jumped into making 25 felt symbols/decorations. It was a baptism of fire but also a very beautiful way to prepare my own heart for Christmas. While making these symbols I reflected on each story and the promises of God to us.
Over the years, this Advent tradition has helped our family carve out intentional time to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. In particular, it has helped us prepare for the true meaning of Christmas, when our fast-paced society would rather we don’t.
Preparing your Jesse Tree
What I love most about my family’s Jesse Tree is that it has grown with us and adapted to our current phase of life. From simple stories and scribbles to felt decorations, family heirlooms and deeper reflections, this tradition can be celebrated very simply or as elaborately as you desire. Whatever the capacity of your family, I encourage you to give it a go!
Materials and resources
The possibilities are endless when it comes to the Jesse Tree, and yours should be just as unique as your family! Your current situation, be it your available time, the ages of your children, your budget constraints, and your gifts and talents with creative pursuits, will influence your journey with the tradition. We started out by using a large cardboard tree and then changed to a tabletop Christmas tree, but you could also hang your ornaments onto your regular Christmas tree, too.
You could use:
- Paper
- Cardboard
- Felt
- Foam sheets
- Wood and paints
- Wool, to knit or crochet symbols
- Embroidery
You could choose to design your own symbols and ornaments, or you could purchase resources to assist you.
The resource I used is “Our Family’s Jesse Tree” from Faith and Fabric. This excellent resource guides you through the making of a Jesse Tree, complete with symbols, Scripture references, and various templates to create the ornaments. This includes felt, cardboard and colouring-in sheets.
Other available resources are:
Symbols and Scripture
The symbols used for the Jesse Tree vary between different sources. Below are the symbols and Scripture references I have used over the years:
Day 1: Creation (Genesis 1:1- 2:3) – Earth
Day 2: Adam & Eve (Genesis 2-3:24) – Apple
Day 3: Noah’s ark (Genesis 6:9-9:17) – Ark and rainbow
Day 4: Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) – Tower
Day 5: God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis. 15:1-6) – Sky full of stars
Day 6: Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18) – Ram
Day 7: Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22) – Ladder
Day 8: Joseph (Genesis 37 & Genesis 45) – Multicoloured coat
Day 9: Moses (Exodus 3: 1-15) – Burning bush
Day 10: Ten Commandments (Exodus 19-20, 24) – Two stone tablets
Day 11: Joshua & Rahab / Fall of Jericho (Joshua 1:1-9, 2:1-21, 6:1-25) – Wall of Jericho with rope
Day 12: Naomi & Ruth (Ruth 1-4) – Stalks of wheat
Day 13: Samuel (1 Samuel 2:2-26 3:21) – Oil lamp
Day 14: Jesse, son of Obed (1 Samuel 16) – A sheep with eight flowers
Day 15: David, son of Jesse (1 Samuel 17) – Slingshot
Day 16: Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6: 11-14) – Temple
Day 17: Elijah (1 Kings 18) – Stone altar with fire
Day 18: Daniel (Daniel 6) – Lion in a den
Day 19: Jonah and the Whale (Jonah 1-4) – Whale
Day 20: John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11 / Luke 1:1-25) – Baptism shell
Day 21: Mary (Luke 1:26-56) – Mary holding baby Jesus
Day 22: Joseph (Matthew 1:19-25) – Heart with wedding rings / Hammer and nails
Day 23: Three wise men (Matthew 2) – Gold star / Three gifts
Day 24: Town of Bethlehem ( Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1-7) – Shepherds / Sheep
Day 25: Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-8) – Baby in a manger
Final thoughts
No matter what your family’s Jesse Tree tradition looks like, what matters is the love behind them and sharing that story of God’s love with your children. Your ornaments don’t need to be picture perfect, you just need to start where you are and allow the tradition to evolve over the years. I pray that this Jesse Tree tradition will help you and your family have a blessed and holy Advent, as you prepare for the birth of Jesus this Christmas.
A shoot shall come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
Isaiah 11:1
Erin lives in Sydney with her husband Kiel and two children. She is a cradle Catholic who loves to incorporate all aspects of her faith into everyday life. As a Family Educator for Sydney Catholic Schools, she helps families journey in faith and embrace liturgical living. She holds an Honors degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and postgraduate qualifications in Theology. Erin blogs at By His Grace and For His Glory.
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