Are you celebrating the advent in any way? Chocolate calenders anyone?!
By Rocketj1
@rocketj1 (6955)
United States
December 3, 2008 2:32pm CST
The advent is the days leading up to Christmas. Some traditions celebrate it in different ways. Growing up, we really didn't acknowledge the advent other than hearing it talked about at church.
I recently went to a ladies craft class at church where we talked about the advent. We talked about how the Jewish people were waiting and anticipating their Messiah. The days leading up to his birth were days of anticipation. It made me rethink the idea of actually celebrating it in some way.
This year, along with the chocolate calenders with the numbered doors to open, my kids and I are opening envelopes that I have decorated. In each one is a card with a prophesy about Christ's coming from the OT and then how He fulfilled it in the new. We discuss this with the kids before they open the all-important-piece of chocolate! We've really enjoyed it. I'm hoping to keep the envelopes from year to year.
How about you? Do you do anything for the advent? How does this effect how you celebrate Christmas when it arrives?
Thanks:)
1 person likes this
11 responses
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
3 Dec 08
my hubby is german and the baptist church we attend has german roots and advent is huge with that nationality. we light a candle at church for each advent sunday and besides the usual chocolate calenders (that are supplied by my inlaws)i have a felt tree that i bought years ago from avon and it has pockets for each day. i write a note for each day (some say see mommy for a treat, others say shine for Jesus, smile, Jesus love you, work hard at school today, that sort of thing) i have been doing this since our 11 year old was about 4 and they still love it (our older daughter is 15 and this year i said they were too old for it, but they disagreed!)
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@jess1890 (8)
• United States
3 Dec 08
I so miss the days when we did the chocolate calender!! When I was a kid, we did the advent calender. (We only did the chocolate one once - lol) At our church, we do the candles and a scripture passage every year - but not in the 'traditional' way. There is a different theme every year.
Now that you brought it up, and I am thinking about it again - it is really a great thing to do! To experience the anticipation and the importance of the coming Christ. I love your idea of the envelopes with the prophesies!! How inspiried! I don't have kids, so I can't borrow your idea - lol - but I may adapt it in some way. Hmmmm - something to consider.
@sylvia13 (1850)
• Nelson Bay, Australia
4 Dec 08
We never paid much attention to Advent when I was a kid in Peru, but here in Austria they take it very seriously indeed! As my children grew up here they know all about it and my daughter, who is very artistic, prepared an Advent calendar with little coloured and numbered boxes, which she has filled up with assorted sweets and chocolates!
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@Anne18 (11029)
•
4 Dec 08
yum yum
My children have advent calenders with choccys in them. They can't wait to get out of bed to eat the choccy before breakfast.
Only problem is how shall I get them out of bed in January??
I don't realy like this sort of calenders but everyone has them and they are cheaper than other advent calenders with no choccys and I have to buy three
@lisa0502 (1724)
• Canada
4 Dec 08
When I was a kid we did not do anything for advent. It was talked about in church or at school but at home we did nothing. Now that I am a mom myself although we do not go to church or anything I do in fact buy my kids the advent calendars to open. I think that it brings a certain excitement to the kids in the days leading up to Christmas.
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@luvandpower (2048)
• United States
4 Dec 08
At my church we just have like a little sermon about the coming of the messiah on the grounds. Then we have the little native scene at that time instead on the traditional day of doing the native scene in the evening.
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@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
3 Dec 08
I'm from Germany and Advent wreath with four candles and Christmas calendar was all part of my childhood and growing up. My mom still send me a calendar when I was in college, lol. Anyhow, I keep up with that tradition here in the US although it was at first really hard to find a wreath with candleholders set into it. I eventually made it myself. The calendars I started to buy when my first one was a year old and could eat the chocolate inside. They were really hard to find, especially in this area. I had to buy them beginning of November to get one in town, lol. There are a lot of Germans here. It used to just be carried by the Dollar Store of all places. Now even Walmart has it. All three of my kids enjoy it. That's the first thing they do, open that door, when they get home from school;)
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@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
4 Dec 08
Very nice way to celebrate the advent friend. It's one way of really commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ...the real and only reason for celebrating Christmas. I think I got a good idea from you. Our family normally celebrate the Advent with a family prayer. We sorround the center table of the family living room and each one will recite a memorized Bible verse about the birth of Jesus and related verses as well. We recite as many as we can and the one who recited the most number of verses receives a special price. Then we hold hands to pray altogether to praise and thank God for every thing in our life. Then we would exchange gifts before we feast on the bountiful meal.
I believe Jesus should always be the main focus in celebrating Christmas. I'm sad that this thing are being missed by most.
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@Humbug25 (12540)
•
3 Dec 08
Hi there rocketj1
Wow what a lovely idea. This is the only second year that we have celebrated Christmas just me and my boys due to what happened a couple of years ago as he was (probably still is) muslim. Anyway, the last couple of times I have given the kids chocolate ones. This year they have a chocolate one too. When I was younger chocolate ones didn't exist and we just had plain ones that we just opened the windows to reveal a biblical image. Nowadays the plain ones are more expensive. I would say that nearly every Christian child in the UK has a chocolate advent calendar.
@hildas (3031)
•
3 Dec 08
That is a really nice way to celebrate the advent. What a way to teach the children about Jesus.
I have a few Chocolate advents and an angel with a gold peg and you move the peg into the 25 pockets gradually, but maybe I should put some verses into those pockets to teach my daughters abot Christs coming also. What a great thing you are doing.
@Autumnrose2008 (1478)
• United States
3 Dec 08
Every year my step mom used to get us calenders. I can so remember looking forward to opening each little door and eating the piece of chocolate. One year I had a gummy bear calender needless to say by Christmas day they were rather tough. Now she buys them for my kids. It has become a tradition for us.
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