Advent: The Conspiracy Begins

In response to the concerns raised in the form of incessant belly-aching on the part of faithful Catholics, who just might be lucky enough to defy conventional wisdom, and stumble upon this end of the Catholic blogosphere quite by accident, we here at man with black hat want to help you prepare for and celebrate the season of Emmanuel -- God with us -- in a way you may not have thought possible. Together, we will discover Advent for what it is, and for what it is not.

We cannot give it to you all at once. Honestly, we are not convinced that most of you are accustomed to what we are about to present. There are folk customs, there are stories, there is music, much of which is not the standard fare in Catholic bookstores, but they are an all-but-lost part of our heritage. The author of this venue, himself an avid (if amateur) folklorist, has devoted a great part of his adult life to the collection of such things as these. They have appeared here every year to a limited extent. They are about to be brought to you in the fullest. Whether you live alone or with children 'round your table, there is a place for you here.

“Stay tuned, and stay in touch.” Our regular readers -- you both know who you are -- are used to reading the expression. This writer means it now more than he ever has before. And you, dear reader, will know what it is to know the season of Christmas -- the before, the during, and the after.

Brace yourselves.