Do you do Advent Calendars?
By which I mean, I know that Advent is technically a religious season, but Advent calendars are generally a 24-day countdown, often full of candy, to Christmas. When I was growing up, my mom had a fabric one she’d made with different characters and themes from the Bible story about Jesus’ birth, with peppermint candies you could tie on with string. My brother and I took turns eating the candies. I’m not sure how much attention we paid to the shepherds underneath. These days, I do Advent Countdowns: make lists, read books, light candles, whatever strikes my fancy that year. So my question for you is: do you use an Advent calendar? And if so, what is yours like?
10 replies on “LTP: 12/20”
I made an Advent calender for MiniBelle last year, even though she might be getting a bit old for it. (What, she’s my only child.) ‘Jesus Santa’ fills it with a variety of small gifts — candy, jewelry, toys. I just think its a nice tradition.
Um, I LOVE THAT. Will you be MY mom, please?
Of course! I know what some editor is going to receive in the maaailll next holiday season!
Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. And I think it depends on the calendar, Some of them have terrible not-chocolate, but I remember some that had the best chocolate I’ve ever eaten. Sadly, I don’t remember who made the ones with the awesome chocolate.
Maybe this is a challenge for next year. We Try It: Finding decent Advent calendar candy?
When my kids were little, I always bought them one of those daily chocolate calenders. I’m not sure that qualifies as being very Advent-ish, though, because opening each door and getting the chocolate out was the goal. There weren’t any spiritual readings or anything like that involved.
My family was EXCEEDINGLY religious growing up, but we still didn’t do special readings or anything of the sort (until Christmas day, then we had to sit through a whole thing.)
When I was a kid my family would do an Advent reading each night, and then my brother and I would get to eat our little chocolate from our calendar.
Does anyone remember actually enjoying that chocolate? I never remember it being very delicious.
Currently, as it’s the last week of Advent, I’m reading an “O Antiphon” each day. Antiphons are a liturgical form of devotion, kind of like a “call and response” type of chant or song. For the 17th-23rd each one is a traditional name of Christ, today is “Key of David”. I actually just learned that the carol “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is pretty much just the O Antiphons set to music so I’m pretty excited about that.
The chocolate was horrid.
I would be very interested in hearing more about O Antiphons. Which liturgical tradition are they out of?
O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of my very favorites; better lyric-craft I’ve yet to hear.
Wasn’t it? I think I’ve seen Lindt Advent calendars in the stores, maybe I will have to try those next year. (or buy one on sale after Christmas?)
The O Antiphons come out of sixth(ish)-century Roman Catholic liturgical practice, though their use is currently quite common among higher Anglican and some Lutheran parishes as well.
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuelâ€, is my favourite Advent song! I love the way it communicates all the nuances of Advent: anguish, longing, hope, and wonder all at once.