Mary Monday

On the third Sunday of Advent, many people light a pink candle in their Advent wreath.

There is a lot of stuff out there about why we do this, but the best explanation comes from Fr. Tim Schenck on his blog Clergy Family Confidential. So head over there and read all about it.

(And although the third Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday, the beautiful Midaeval Christmas hymn Gaudete! Gaudete! Christus Est Natus is not actually the right song for Gaudete Sunday, just to confuse matters more. That song is about rejoicing at the actual birth of Jesus, which hasn't happened yet on Advent 3.)

Either way, here is a lovely figure from one of the 5th Avenue stores in Manhattan that was being decorated for the holidays. I'm going to assume she is Mary, perhaps a Matryoska Mary.