Here at Holy Heroes, we love sharing ways that Catholics can celebrate the liturgical year! Next up…the Jesse Tree!

Doubtless, you’ve heard about the Jesse Tree tradition during Advent. But do you know where the image of the Jesse Tree comes from?

Firstly…who is Jesse??

Remember the story of Boaz and Ruth? One of their grandchildren was named Jesse. When Jesse grew up, he became the father of David (yep, the same David who won against Goliath!). David would grow up to become the King of Israel.

Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David (and therefore also a descendant of Jesse).

The prophet said that “there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots” (Isaiah 11:1). 

Matthew 1:1-17 traces Jesus’ entire family line, from Abraham all the way to Joseph…and guess what?

The prophecy was fulfilled! 

Jesus is the “Son of David”…and Jesse is his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather (that’s 26 “greats” in all!). 

What is the Jesse Tree? 

In the early European Catholic Church, the visual image of Jesus’ family tree became very popular. Jesus’ family tree was drawn onto medieval manuscripts, embroidered onto fabric, and put into stained glass windows. Some of these images are still preserved today!

Not only is the tree a beautiful inspiration for art, but it also served as a perfect teaching tool about Salvation History (especially at a time when not everyone could read or write). 

Today, the Jesse Tree has turned into a hands-on way to prepare our hearts for Christmas. By reading a passage from Scripture every day and hanging a corresponding ornament that relates to the Scripture passage, we see the big picture of God’s plan to reopen the gates of Heaven.

This is known as Salvation History. 

Now that you know the history of the Jesse Tree…here are some ways you can incorporate this tradition into your home! Every family is different, so we’ve included some hassle-free options for the busy moms and dads. 

Mix-and-Match to find the best Jesse Tree style for your family!

The Sticker Way

Best for: Super young children (5 and under)/ super busy moms, kids who get frustrated with arts and crafts/ kids who want to learn unsupervised

For those of us with very young children (5 and under), or those of us who are majorly pressed for time, stickers are the way to go!

Our new Jesse Tree Poster Kit is the easiest way to complete the Jesse Tree ever! Hang the poster on the fridge or in the school room. It comes with sticker “ornaments” ready to go! Kids will look forward to placing a new sticker on the tree every day.

It’s mess-free, straight-forward, and simple!

Each Jesse Tree Poster Pack comes with 2 posters and 2 sticker sheets…perfect for passing on to a friend (or giving each kid their own). 

The Printable Way

Best for: Young kids (10 and under)/ super busy moms/ kids who like to practice scissor skills/ moms who want minimal mess

We’ve created a free download of pre-made Jesse Tree ornaments, just for you! The artwork catches the eye and keeps kids engaged.

Print them in full color…all you have to do is cut them out, punch a hole, and loop a ribbon or string to hang them up! Mom can cut the ornaments and string lengths beforehand and keep them hidden until the appropriate day, or have the kids practice their scissor skills. 

There’s no glitter or heat tools involved, which means cleanup is a cinch!

The Coloring Way

Best for: Kids who love to color/ moms who want to keep kids occupied/ families with a range of ages

For artistically inclined kids, you can add in coloring as an extra step! The free ornament download also comes with a black-and-white version. This way, your kids can take extra pride in their ornament! 

Whether your toddler scribbles outside the lines or your older son or daughter adds details of their own, these ornament crafts replace stress with joy!

The “Kids in Charge” Way

Best for: Moms who need kids to learn independently/ families with a range of ages/ busy moms who need an hour to themselves/ moms who want to start a yearly tradition/ moms who don’t want to stand by the printer all day

Let the Holy Heroes Adventure Kids teach your kids about Salvation History! The Jesse Tree Advent Activity DVD is super easy to use: pop it in the DVD player or laptop and let the kids manage this year’s tree all by themselves! 

The Jesse Tree DVD contains a daily video and ornament for every day in Advent! The best part? It’s reusable year-after-year, regardless of how long Advent is! Make this a new family tradition and use it year after year!

Want a screen-free option (or a supplement to the DVD)? Our Jesse Tree Advent Activity Book is filled with mazes, coloring pages, and tons of other fun activities that instill Biblical knowledge in a memorable way. 

It contains options for a range of ages and difficulty levels…your middle schooler can help the younger kids while also having his or her own activity to complete! 

Not sure if the Jesse Tree Activity Book is right for your kids? Download some sample pages here!

Got more than one kid? Running a co-op group? You can order them in packs of 3 as well (but only pay the price for 2!).

The “No Nonsense” Way

Best for: Busy moms who need everything in one place/ moms who crave simplicity/ moms who burnout easily/ teachers who need to plan in advance/ families with several different ages

For over a decade, we’ve provided moms and dads with a FREE, NO-STRESS way to engage their kids in the season of Advent…Holy Heroes Advent Adventure! 

Holy Heroes Advent Adventure is 100% free, easy and no-nonsense. We do all the hard work for you! We send you daily emails with short videos, fun activities, coloring pages, recipes, prayers, and more!

Advent Adventure includes the Jesse Tree devotion, but it also covers so much more! Your kids will learn about Advent traditions, stories of the Saints, the Sunday Gospels during Advent, Salvation History, the Rosary, and more! 

Catholic families around the world have made the program a yearly tradition! One mom sent us an especially sweet email:

“This is the first year we bought the Advent supplies offered by Holy Heroes. The kids were already counting down the days/minutes to the First Sunday in Advent…I know you designed Advent Adventure so that kids can do it on their own, but honestly I’m having as much fun watching the videos with them and learning along too. All of us are getting so much out of this journey together. Thanks to all of you who devote so much to this important service!” – Jennifer (mom) and Elisabeth, John Paul, and Andrew (kids)

Between Christmas shopping, holiday baking, home decorating, test-taking, and travel planning, the importance of spiritual preparation can be lost in the shuffle. Make this year your most fruitful Advent yet…sign up today!

P.S. Are you a Faith Formation teacher, parish education department head, or anyone else who needs to plan ahead? With Advent Adventure Early Access, our daily Advent videos, downloads, and activities are now available to you all at once; no more waiting for the daily emails to gain access! You’ll receive an email mid-November with the full Advent Adventure calendar of activities…and you’ll have unlimited printing rights! 

Advent is fast approaching, and we sell out of our stock quickly, so order your materials now!