The Advent Calendar
The tradition of Advent calendars was birthed in Germany and it celebrated, with much anticipation, the arrival of Christmas—the birth of the Messiah.
From the early nineteenth century, at the latest, German Protestants began to mark the days of Advent either by burning a candle for the day or, more simply, marking walls or doors with a line of chalk each day. A new practice of hanging a devotional image every day ultimately led to the creation of the first known handmade, wooden, Advent calendar in 1851. Sometime in the early twentieth century (either 1902 or 1908 depending on who you believe) the first printed calendars appeared, followed by Gerhard Lang’s innovation of adding small doors in the 1920s; he is thus often seen as the creator of the modern calendar (Read more at The History of Advent Calendars).
Today, there are hundreds of different kinds of Advent calendars—from chocolates and candy to jelly beans and jewels. Each day, it’s a great reminder that we are moving towards the celebration of the birth of Christ.
Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now
Anyway, this year, we decided to create a different type of Advent calendar. Beginning today (December 1), find a large box, and then each day put something you don’t need or use to give away for someone in need. You could collect items for a charitable organization or give it to a relative or friend you know is going through a challenging time.
And when you have collected your items, take a photograph and send it to us. We’ll post it on Theology Mix!
Photo credit: Weihnachts Magazin
- Advent: A Five-Part Christmas Devotional from Chaplain Chris Linzey - December 3, 2023
- “Be Still: Rest for the Culturally Weary” by Chris Dunn - October 18, 2023
- The Munich Bible Study on Zoom - January 24, 2023
