Page 5 - Demo

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ADVENT CALENDARS?Okay. Full confession here. As I get older, I would say that it%u2019s almost more fun looking forward to Christmas than it is actually celebrating on Christmas Day. Don%u2019t get me wrong, I love Christmas morning and all the presents and joy like the rest of us. But the more I understand the historical significance and meaningful aspects of the holiday season, the more I enjoy the anticipation of Christmas. Does anyone else get goosebumps when you first spot Christmas decorations in the stores? I do! My kids and I love the first sight of our local Christmas tree lot beginning to go up or a Yule log cake in the grocery store bakery. It hints that something exciting is on the way. Since around the fourth century, Christians have celebrated Advent as a time of anticipation and preparation. German Protestants in the mid-nineteenth century were likely the first to use Advent calendars, after using all sorts of creative ways to mark these important days of the Christian year. Parents can use Advent calendars as a teachable tool that gives their kids something to look forward to each day while also ref lecting on the big day approaching and all it symbolizes. We see Advent calendars in many shapes and sizes during the Christmas season. Each day from November 30 to December 25 has a little door to open. Behind each door is a chocolate candy, part of a picture, a tiny toy%u2014some Advent calendars even offer a selection of teas. But rather than being about treats or trinkets, the calendar is a kind of devotional. The word advent, which comes from Latin, means %u201ccoming to%u201d or %u201carriving at.%u201d Advent, then, is a time of anticipation when we look forward to the arrival of Jesus.3