This coming Sunday, the 1st of December 2019, is the FIRST ADVENT. Then every Sunday is another advent’s Sunday till the 22nd of December as the 4th advent. What that means and why and how it is celebrated one can read in Wikipedia or read my post about „The Advent Wreath“. Just click on: https://myuytips.com/2014/11/30/the-advent-wreath/
A whole town is build to open 24 days its 24 different doors.
With this post I like to introduce you to another kind of advent celebration, the ADVENT CALENDAR. Its a calendar with usually 24 doors, the first opens on 1st of December and the last on „Holy Night“, the 24th of December.
Very unusual calendar with 25 doors, the last one to open on Christmas day !!??.
Origin of the Advent Calendar.
The Advent Calendar is a newer tradition compared to Santa, the Christmas Tree and the exchanging of gifts, but it has developed into being a well-known activity for many families, especially in Europe and the United States. The advent is considered the first twenty-four days of December, being a countdown for Christmas. Originally, the advent calendar was started by Protestant Germans in the 19th century. In its creation, the Advent Calendar was not exactly molded into this format. Instead, the Germans would use candles to signify the days and chalk to write out their own calendars. The idea of the calendar many of us know today began in 1851, with a wooden calendar being made with a devotional being carved into the calendar. It wasn’t until the early 1900s for the calendar to become commercialized.
The oldest known, survived from 1903, printed Avent Calendar.
Commercialization of Advent Calendar.
In Austria, a newspaper company printed an Advent calendar for their readers; the next year, they inserted their own version of the calendar. Another newspaper company in the city of Hamburg, Germany, used a Christmas clock as the “countdown” for the holiday, being its own version of the Advent calendar. In 1908 one particular inventor’s clever idea boomed the calendar’s popularity and success.
Commercialization.
Gerhard Lang has been formally credited for the advent calendar that we have grown to love and adore today. Being from Germany himself, Lang’s inspiration derived from his mother, who made him this model as a child, with colorful pictures and figures drawn on the calendar. Lang made a cardboard style that was delivered through newspapers, allowing for a “swing door” to be on the calendar. With this innovation, the calendars could “contain” an object or a quote. The calendar with the swing door is secured; it requires for the participant to open the door, where they discover their prize and obtain the goodie inside. In this time frame, the goodie was either a picture or a quote.
Gerhard Lang and his work.
This was, and still is, how it worked.
As the 1930s struck, Lang’s company had to close down, thanks to the rising tensions of World War II and a cardboard shortage occurring. The advent calendar was on hold until post- WWII, when the trend resurfaced. In countries like Germany, the calendar was seen as a refreshing glimpse of hope and nostalgia for the better days. As the 1950s appear, the advent calendar started to put chocolate into the mix, allowing for the present of the day to be a little treat. Coincidentally, as chocolate began to enter the European map of the calendar, Americans jumped on board too. President Eisenhower has been credited with bringing the Christmas calendar idea to the States, giving them to his grandchildren.
There were times in the White House when US-Presidents had style and honored tradition, not just moneymaking and stirring up the world as it is now.
By example: The Eisenhower’s and the Obama’s Advent Calendars. Click on pics to supersize.
Today’s Advent Calendar.
Today a lot of different Advent Calendare are sold sale prior to the first day of December, and the calendars are reasonably priced. Nearly every retailer supplies the calendars, and nowadays they can contain everything from traditional paper drawings and rhymes to chocolates, alcohol and even Lego.
While the Advent calendar is considered one of the beloved moments of Christmas, it should also be known one cannot celebrate it wrong! If you want to continue this fine tradition and create your own Advent Calendar feel free to do so ! Have Fun !
The whole town-hall in Hünfeld, Germany is set as an Advents Calendar !
Inside St.Petri Church in Lübeck, Germany a massive Advent Calendar.
Fantastic idea, 24 individual wrapped little presents, no numbers needed.
Wonderful made „diorama“ advents calendar from the 1940’s. There are 1000’s more!
