Many people have different ideas about celebrating Christmas. It can be quite interesting to learn how traditions here and in other places began or how holidays are celebrated in different regions.
The Advent calendar is one example. An advent calendar is a tool for marking off the days until Christmas arrives. It began as a Christian tradition but people from all walks of life tend to enjoy having a way to count down the days. While the tradition appears to have begun centuries ago, as a simple chalk line made on the door to mark each day, or hanging pictures up on a wall each day, the idea later turned into an actual calendar.
In the early 1900’s, paper advent calendars began appearing in some newspapers. It was like a little Christmas present for people who read the paper. Besides paper calendars, there have also been those made of other materials. Wood has been a favorite for many crafters, creating a permanent calendar, where the dates and treats can easily be changed as appropriate.
While Advent actually begins on a certain date, most people simply start counting down the days on December 1st and ending on Christmas Eve.
If you would like to know more about the history of advent calendars, you can visit FactMonster.com.
If you would like some ideas for making simple advent calendars, please see “It’s Time to Make Advent Calendars.” On the other hand, you can simply tape candies or trinkets to an existing calendar, remove one item each day, and then mark out that day. Kids love this idea and it helps them keep track of the days so the wait doesn’t feel quite so long.
*You can also visit NorthPole.com if you would like to learn more about Christmas traditions and celebrations in other countries.
History really can be fun!