Advent Calendars
An important part of Christmas for me when I was a child was the Advent Calendar.
On the last day of November, every year, all of the children in my family were each given a beautiful picture. These were hung on the wall beside each bed.
On 1st December, on waking, I searched for the little door on the picture with a "1" on it. I excitedly opened this to reveal a little picture. It might be a picture of a toy or an animal or something Christmas related.
Each morning, I loved opening a new door, and I enjoyed seeing more and more doors open on the picture. It meant Christmas was coming!
The last door was always the biggest, with "24" in large numbers. Sometimes it was even a double door, and the picture was always a nativity scene. Opening this meant that tomorrow was Christmas.
My child is at last old enough to have her own Advent Calendar. I have searched and searched for something like the ones I loved so much, but to no avail. All the calendars now are either commercial ones, advertising the latest toys or movie characters, or they are filled with toys or chocolate. My little one will get enough gifts at Christmas. I want her to experience the simple joy of searching for the right door and just enjoying a picture.
Advent Calendars taught me patience, anticipation and how to take enormous pleasure from one tiny moment of beauty.
Call me old fashioned, but I found a picture of a "real" Advent Calendar on the net, so I will make one for my daughter. It will take a while, and might be tricky to do, but I am quite a patient person ...
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Comments (2)
Penny Young8
Consultant
Some stores here had the Christmas trees out in September. We don't officially celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving, but maybe we need something between Fathers Day and Christmas to keep the stores happy ... lol.
Mark Hultgren7
Wordpress Specialist
That brings back some memories!
I didn't even think you could find them anymore! It sounds like they have gone commercial along with everything else though. I find it kind of saddening that the malls and shopping centers have turned such a special season into a major marketing focus. It seems that each year, they start their marketing campaigns earlier and earlier too.