What is an Advent Calendar?
An advent calendar is a special calendar that marks the days during Advent, the holy season celebrated by the Christian Church during December leading up to Christmas. The advent calendar has taken on many forms over the years and has branched into secular society as a countdown to Christmas calendar aimed towards children. Although the season of Advent begins on the Sunday closest to the 30th of November, most commercial advent calendars begin on the first of December. Traditionally, an advent calendar has two tiers, with the days from 1 December through 24 December represented. Each day is signified with a door to be opened. However, adaptations of the advent calendar include either doors or pockets, with various ways to mark the day. Frequently, an advent calendar has room for a small treat to be hidden behind the door or in the pocket. Commercial manufacturers have marketed the advent calendar in some form or another for many years. Some are decorated with images of the Nativity, w
How does an advent calendar relate to Christmas?” Answer: The word ‘Advent’ has a Latin origin meaning ‘the coming,’ or more accurately, ‘coming toward.’ For Christian believers, Christmas is one of the greatest events in the yearly cycle, being the celebration of the greatest gift ever given by God to mankind. That gift was Jesus, the Son of God Himself, born into this world in human form and coming to live among us to show us the true nature of God, experience human joy and sorrow along with us, and finally, going of His own will to die a horrible, agonizing death. In this way the price was paid for all human sin that had cut us off from our Holy God and Heavenly Father, resulting in our complete and total reconciliation with Him. Centuries ago, the importance of this event caused many Christians to feel that it was inadequate merely to mark off only one day on the yearly calendar for celebrating this incredible gift from God. Believers had (and still do have) such a sense of awe and
