This site is an archive of ChiotsRun.com. For the latest information about Susy and her adventrures, visit the Cultivate Simple site.
Thank you for all your support over the years!

The Advent Calendar

December 21st, 2015

Last year I purchased these old fashioned advent calendars for family & friends. I purchased one for myself, but since we travel to Ohio from Thanksgiving through the first week of December, I didn’t get ours out. This year I pulled it when we returned from Ohio and opened the first five windows.
advent calendar 7
advent calendar 8
These are great advent calendars, designed and printed in Germany by a family that has been doing it since the 40’s. This particular design was the first one published in 1946. You can buy this designs, along with many others, on their website.
advent calendar 1
advent calendar 2
advent calendar 3
advent calendar 4
advent calendar 5
advent calendar 6
We have really been loving this little calendar, it’s such a fun thing to do every evening. Next year we plan on adding an advent wreath to our table and will celebrate the tradition of lighting a candle every Sunday.

What are your family traditions that surround the holidays?

5 Comments to “The Advent Calendar”
  1. Wendy on December 21, 2015 at 10:46 am

    Love this–thanks for sharing where to get it!

    Reply to Wendy's comment

  2. Nebraska Dave on December 21, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    Susy, my family traditions have dwindled over the years. My household is not into decorating or traditions. In years past we did lights and had a spectacular tree but my wife was the instigator of that. She would sit hours and string popcorn and cranberries every year to put on the tree. It really looked good when she was done. It had the old time country look.

    Have a great family tradition day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  3. Kristen on December 21, 2015 at 4:07 pm

    We have three advent calendars this year. Two of them were gifts to us and are reusable each year. One is a wooden tree with little numbered drawers below that contain ornaments to hang on the tree above. The next is a wooden house with numbered windows that I can fill with jokes, scripture or a little treat. The third is a lego city advent calendar. All are enjoyed and opened daily by my son. Yours is gorgeous – I may have to order one for my niece next year. Thank you for sharing it with us! Growing up we had an advent wreath but I haven’t done well with continuing on that tradition. Maybe next year. . .

    Reply to Kristen's comment

  4. Bettina on December 22, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    Advent Wreaths are a lovely thing. However, the original Advent Wreaths had 4 thick candles for the 4 Advent Sundays and small candles for the days in between until Christmas. So, just to demonstrate, here is a link to the way it used to look like.

    http://blogs.transparent.com/german/the-history-of-the-adventskranz-advent-wreath/

    However, today, most people only use the one with 4 candles for the Advent Sundays.

    In regards to Advent Calendars, my mother used to make little packages for each of the 24 days, with a chocolate, or another little gift in it, and then hang them on a line. Each package had a number and we got to open it. It was never anything expensive, usually something like an eraser, a tiny matchbox car, etc…. but as kids we loved it. I am sure this is something that could also be done between adults and be fun.

    Reply to Bettina's comment

  5. Jennie on January 28, 2016 at 2:48 pm

    a fun tradition we have is Advent books- On New Years Day each year I wrap up and number 25 books that I have been slowly collecting through the years- ( I used to wrap up library books before I had my own set) We usually get a new picture book of the Nativity to open each Christmas Day. I wrap the books for the following year- so it is always a fun surprise we almost forget about until we take out our decorations the following year.
    Every night after dinner we read one of the books by the Christmas tree- So fun to get to open a present each night!
    What I really love about the holidays is just spending time together with our family- so precious since we have moved from Minnesota to Washington.

    Reply to Jennie's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

Admin
Read previous post:
Friday Favorite: Mass Plantings

Mass plantings make a huge impact in any size garden, but especially in a large garden where too many plants...

Close