When I went to the 1st Advent celebration in the town square on Saturday, some firemen were handing out advent calendars. Do you have them in your Christmas traditions?
The first printed Advent calendar is said to have been produced in Hamburg in 1902 or 1903. In 1908, Gerhard Lang, a printer in the firm Reichhold & Lang of Munich, made 24 little colored pictures that could be affixed to a piece of cardboard. Several years later, he introduced a calendar with 24 little doors instead. The practice disappeared during World War II, but was taken up again after the war by Richard Sellmer of Stuttgart, and from there got spread worldwide. Beginning on the first day of December, one door is opened each day, counting the days remaining until Christmas Eve.
The first door on my calendar today was found on the door, and underneath it was a Christmas wreath (on the door)…
There was also something written on the back. It said: “Make a drawing with the text ‘Don’t forget to put out the candles’ and put that on your door.”
Not a bad idea actually… I did not do a drawing, but I used a photo:
Feel free to print it out and put it up on your door if you like.
In the Scandinavian countries, we also get a special Christmas calendar show on TV every day in December. The first one was aired in 1960, I think that was the year we got our first TV (I was 5 years old). Some more memorable than others. Some were really good and fun for the whole family to watch. Others were really bad.
Anyway… I’m sitting here thinking right now that perhaps I should have my own Advent calendar here on the Blog this December…?
Let the first Revelation be that I still enjoy Advent calendars, even though I’m 55 years old and have no children or grandchildren to blame it on!
5 comments:
Yes, we have Advent Calendars everywhere in the stores now. My DIL does one with our granddaughter, as well. But do you know I have never had one? I never even heard of them till I was maybe in my 40's! We don't have any T.V. shows like that,though. An Advent blog calendar would be cool!!
i have seen them in the past but never had one. i think it is a great idea for you to do one on your blog, can't wait to see tomorrow. I like the blow out the candle one, so will you do what is on your calendar each day for us? since we don't have one.
We discovered Advent Calendars when we were living in Germany (my husband was in the Army) and have had one every year since, and I still get one for my daughter though she's grown.
dear DawnTreader! me too, I'm enjoying a christmas calender; as every year, it is filled with pieces of chocolate in a different shape every day. today I found a little elefant, and I ate it at once ;-)
I think Advent Calendars are a really good way of reminding people about Advent and what it means in the modern contest - it has changed somewhat even in my lifetime.
However I suspect that only the tiniest number of people who open an Advent calendar have even the vaguest idea of what it is supposed to remind us of.
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