A Different Take on Advent Calendars and Our Favorite Ones To Use

I was uninitiated in the tradition of the Advent Calendar until recently, when some research taught me that it was a rather important part of the classic Christmas celebration. Taken from the Latin word adventus, which means “arrival” or “coming,” Advent is the time of year when the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated. But since it has been globally adopted, the advent calendar has grown into a symbol of anticipation and hope, which I find to be a universal message applicable to all.

The origins of the advent calendar started with chalk marks on a door or wall that counted down the days to Christmas. Other modifications saw the lighting of a candle for each day, starting around Nov 27, as well as families designing and building their own advent calendars from natural resources like wood or cloth.

In the 1900s, advent calendars gained popularity through German printer Gerhard Lang, who himself had grown up with a homemade calendar. He later innovated the idea of having little doors that could be opened to reveal a devotional picture or a biblical verse.

These days, an advent calendar usually hides a piece of candy or small toy for kids, which largely reflects the modern, consumerist take on Christmas. But we really don’t need more of that, so how about a return to some traditional values?

This year, I’m advocating for advent calendars that hold a different message for each day in the lead-up to Christmas. These messages should reflect your family values and experiences and can be written by each member. Think of it as a Secret Santa, but with the unprecedented power of words. You can adopt affirmations from wellness websites and apps, or recognize a specific action that someone in the family performed, or simply write down your favorite thing about your family member. The only condition should be that it’s all positive and rooted in love.

For families who want to go the extra mile, you could even try the Reverse Advent Calendar, an initiative organized by the International School of Beijing (ISB) back in 2018 in which each day students donate a different item to New Hope Foster Home. So instead of taking a little something, you give! These items were all necessities such as a bag of white rice and a bottle of oil, which can make a world of difference in the lives of others. You could also personalize this idea and encourage your kids to give out a small token of appreciation to a different person in their class or school. These tokens could be drawings, written notes, or even a cookie if your family is into baking!

If you prefer to go the easy way and buy an advent calendar off TaoBao, we’ve found a few beautiful, reusable ones that would look great on your walls year after year.