The holiday season is so short, make the wait for Christmas a little easier with an Advent calendar.
 |
| Handmade Advent Calandar From Geoffrey & Grace. |
Advent Calendars
Nothing makes the wait for Christmas easier than an Advent calendar. The anticipation of “the big day” is paved with chocolate, little toys, wine, make-up, jelly(my favorite), candles, beer, perfume and almost anything else you can imagine. Advent calendars have come a long way over the years.
One of the things that my grandparents used to send us every Christmas was an Advent calendar. My siblings and I took turns opening the little doors each day and counting down the days until Christmas. The little chocolates were the highlight of a cold winter day.
I did the same thing from my grand kids a few years ago when I sent a little advent calendar that was a string of 25 alternating red and white mittens. The first year I filled each mitten with candy and my little grandsons loved it.
It is a Christmas tradition that we enjoy to this day. We’ve moved on from the little paper calendar but we still count down the days with a hand made calendar filled with little treats including cookies, gift cards, holiday adventures, etc.
I think no matter what your age one can always use a little joy each day to count down the days til Christmas. You are never too old to enjoy the magic and spirit of the season. Get yourself a calendar and countdown the days! It’s the little things in life.
What is an Advent Calendar?
An Advent calendar is a calendar used to help us count down the days to December 25th. The celebration of the birth of Jesus. Over the years, advent calendars have become less about observing the days of the Advent and more about getting into the Christmas spirit.
The History of Advent Calendars
Advent calendars come from Germany. German Protestants marked the days to Advent by burning a candle, making a chalk mark on the wall or taking a pieces of straw and adding it to to the nativity crib.
They evolved over time to small paper devotionals hung on the wall which is where the modern advent calendar got its start. In 1851 the first wood advent calendar was made.
Fifty years later the first printed calendar appeared. Gerhard Lang is considered the father of the printed calendar, he created the first one in 1908 and was inspired by his childhood. It is said that his mother sewed 24 cookies onto a piece of cardboard, one for each day leading to Christmas. Later he added doors to the calendar, he continued to produce them until WWII when paper was rationed and the Nazis created their own calendars filled with propaganda.
After the war companies began to print calendars again and service men brought them to Europe and the U.S. President Eisenhower was seen opening one with his grandchildren in 1953.
Chocolate was added and the rest is history. Now a days you can find everything from candy, to perfume, to toys, and candles.
The worlds most expensive Advent calendar is valued at 10 million dollars. But I don’t think it has anything on the magical calendars of my childhood.
 |
| Stocking Garland |
How to Make a DIY Advent Calendar
A DIY Advent calendar can be a simple as 25 post a notes with Christmas messages or bible quotes. It can be made with 25 brown or white paper bags filled with small toys and candy. Or you can wrap 25 Christmas books, place them in a basket and each night read one with your family.
There are countless ideas on Pinterest or you can buy handcrafted from Etsy, this Nutcracker themed one is beautiful.
I shared 10 of my favorite DIY calendars if you need additional ideas.
If however making on is not in the cards for you this year you can see a few of my favorites below.
 |
| Paper Envelope Calendar |
How to Make a DIY Advent Calendar
A DIY Advent calendar can be a simple as 25 post a notes with Christmas messages or bible quotes. It can be made with 25 brown or white paper bags filled with small toys and candy. You can wrap 25 Christmas books, place them in a basket and each night read one with your family.
I have seen many ideas on Pinterest or you can buy handcrafted from Etsy.
If however making on is not in the cards for you this year you can see a few of my favorites below. Don’t forget to check out My Holiday Shop, a lot of the Christmas Decor is already on sale.
Until Next Time
Do you have an advent calendar that your family uses to count the days until Christmas? Is it a family tradition? Do you use the same one every years or purchase a new one?
I hope that you enjoyed our Countdown to Christmas: Advent Calendars.
Have a great day friends. Thank you for spending part of it with me.
You can also keep up with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. And last but not least, if you like Pinecones & Acorns share it with a friend!
This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
It was not something particularly done in our home- I wonder if it depends on the denomination of Christianity? Advent was certainly marked, but not like that. My parents would read particular sections of scripture during the weeks leading up to Christmas, and there would be advent candles around.
I've actually never had one. Not sure why. I think they sure are cute though!
Brenda
The stocking advent calendar is a favorite. They make a nice early holiday season gift.
This so too! You can even make them out of baby socks or socks that your children have grown out of. I love Advent calendars and think they make a great tradition for every house.
Elizabeth, there are so many lovely ideas. I am all about traditions and I should start a tradition with my grands helping them make an Advent Calendar! Thank you for sharing.
Pam, that is a lovely idea! I think that your grands will love it.
Also, might I suggest the book calendar? It is such a wonderful way to connect with your grands and make memories.
Have a wonderful week. I hope that you are still enjoy the last vestiges of your beautiful garden before you put it to sleep for winter.
So many great choices! I actually have a homemade crocheted one that a co-worker gave me years ago. My sons loved it growing up, and truth be told, they still do when they come to the house!