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**Jen**- Meaning of Advent
Jen! I grew up as a Presbyterian! 
When I moved here, I checked out the one Pres. church on island but didn't like it, and slowly got used to a more contemporary four-square church. TOTALLY the opposite of a nice traditional presbyterian church but I still like it! I miss singing hymns sometimes though!
I always thought Advent was a season to prepare for Jesus' birth. I think in church we celebrated it five (?) Sundays before Christmas, and each Sunday we would focus on Love, Peace, Joy, Hope, etc. with the lighting of a candle, and the fifth candle gets lit on Christmas Eve.
When we were kids we had the Advent calendar (with no candy!) and it was started on Dec. 1st. Each day you opened a door and it told the whole Christmas story (There once was a man named Joseph...etc.). HTH!
Re: **Jen**- Meaning of Advent
*** jumping in ***
i love advent calendars! i have never had one, but my cousins would have the candy ones. they have really cute/elaborate wooden ones in mom and pop shops.
*** jumping out ***
hawaii 10.2008 plan ;P married bio ???
thanks for the info! so usually candy is put in those little compartments?
I don't know what kind of presbyterian i grew up, maybe because it was a korean church, but we never celebrated advent.
Aubrey, you mentioned something about the christmas story being in each cubbyhole? or did i read that wrong. i'll go check as soon as i finish this post.
i don't get it. is the nativity story told in parts over 30 days? doesn't seem like there would be enough to split up into 30.
season's greetings, everyone! loved thanksgiving, and can't wait for christmas!
Advent is simply a word that describes the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Churches often light a candle on a wreath each week to celebrate this in anticipation.
Advent Calendars are originally German, and coming from a large German family, I have had one every year of my life.
Some calendars are just religious, and have little religious sayings, pictures, and parts of the Nativity story in them. You open a little paper window each day, and behind there is your story/picture/saying/prayer for the day.
Others (the most common that I've seen) are about a half-inch thick, and you open a little paper window and there's a little piece of chocolate inside each day. My sister always got the even days, and I got the odd.
Still others are little wooden boxes that have tiny doors with a small compartment behind. Parents usually put their own prizes in each compartment before Advent starts....sometimes candy, sometimes a tiny little gift or prize for each day. My family has never been this ambitious!
We have always bought ours (filled with chocolate) at the German Christmas market the day after Thanksgiving. Or, when I was in German classes in high school, we sold them as a fundraiser each year. Now, I have also seen similar ones at Trader Joe's or World Market.
ETA: Check this out for more info.
thanks - that sums up everything I had heard and researched.
I am working on a DIY one that is meant to resemble the one my DH remembers from his childhood. It was at his grandparents' house.
each pocket has a small ornament that will be added to a "tree" (felt tree shape with buttons sewed on to hang ornaments) - hopefully by next year I will make little felt ornaments instead of using the tiny wooden ones I have now.
After DH explained it to me I searched online and found lots of inspiration and then Sandra sent me a link to this blog - LOVE! I just don't have time to pull it off this year
http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/search/label/advent%20calendar
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