11/28/11

Tis the Season of Advent

Happy Advent! For those who don't know, Advent started yesterday, November 27. (It always starts on the 4th Sunday before December 25th and is the first day of the church calendar.) During the season of Advent, Christians prepare for the celebration of Jesus' birth. The season is marked by the color purple or dark blue, representing hope. Advent ends when Christmas begins.

Cute hand-crafted Advent calendars are popping up all over the web. I love Advent calendars. I love Advent.

I've actually never made an Advent calendar, though I've made plenty of Advent wreaths and chains over the years. Since Trevor was born, we've had both an Advent chain and an Advent calendar in our house. We start the Advent chain on the first day of Advent (yesterday) and use a commercial Advent calendar starting on December 1 (this year he's getting the LEGO Advent calendar).

Here is Trevor with his Advent chain. We cut construction paper into 8" x 1" strips- yellow for Christmas (at the top), dark blue for the Sundays of Advent, and then alternate red and green for the rest of the chain. 


While we start our Advent chain on the first Sunday of Advent, I have no problem with commercial Advent calendars starting on December 1 (even though Advent can start anywhere from November 27 - December 3). It's convenient, easy to remember, and means that the calendars can be used during any year. But do you know what drives me crazy? Absolutely nuts? When businesses, blog authors, etc. celebrate "The Twelve Days of Christmas" from December 1-12. Why do they do this?! Christmas is not the 1st, the 12th or any date in between. Christmas is a 12-day season that starts on December 25 and ends on Epiphany, January 6. December 1-12 is part of Advent, not Christmas! Aargh!

Thanks for indulging my rant. I feel better.

Tomorrow I'm going to share a tutorial for making adorable (if I do say so myself!) snowman gift tags. Happy Advent to you!

6 comments:

  1. We do an advent chain also but we put a prayer intention on each link. Then we all pray the intention together as a family each night.

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  2. LOL!! Love your rant!! :):):):) And loving the advent chain!! My parents used to do that for me as a kid!! Trevor is ADORABLE! :):):):):):):):):):):):):)

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  3. Blessings to you and your family Cindy during this Advent season.

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  4. Cindy, you always have great ideas. I am curious how you use the paper chain? Do you tear off a chain every day? We got Cory a Lego advent calendar too, that same one. Can't wait til he sees it. It's still in the big brown box from Amazon. We ordered it early because we were afraid it would sell out.

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  5. Ha Ha!!! Sometimes you just have to get your rant out there!!! I haven't done anything advent, bc I am too afraid my girls would view it simply as more gifts...love the chain idea though!

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