Hello everyone! Welcome back! I’m very happy to start my Christmas season for this year on the blog. Each year it seems I’m overexcited about that time of year. But, who isn’t that excited when it comes and who doesn’t love Christmas time?! Today, I wanted to start with the begining, Christmas before Christmas. I mean Advent time. This time is very important to me, as I look at what I did through the year, what I achieved, what I failed etc. It’s also a moment of loving, sharing and caring and not just waiting. Waiting for Christmas to come, waiting for presents, waiting for those meals, waiting to meet with friends and family…. Over the last months, I’ve been thinking about Advent Calendar, how I could use this tradition to create something meaningfull. If you remember last year, I made my own Calendar myself, recycling some cardboard and wrapping paper, and filling it with some chocolate. This year, I wanted to do something different, so I thought about alternatives. And I thought it would be great to share with you the ideas I came up with.
Let’s get started!
1# The Giving Calendar This one is quite known I think. Instead of receiving something each day, until Christmas Day, you rather give something. I love this idea especially nowdays when so many people are in need, moreover it perfectly fits the spirit of Advent “Loving, sharing and caring”. Each day, place in a box something for someone. It can be clothes, canned food, books, toys(for children), something for their pets, even cash (but to be honest I prefer to gift real things than money, because you can’et eat or wear money). and finally on Christmas day, give this box to the person youthought about all Advent along. Not only will they feel grateful because you give something to them, but they also would be grateful because you thought about them all this time. And believe me, there is no greater and deeper gift than that.
2# The Activity Calendar In my case, this is the version I’m gonna have this year. So here instead of having a candy each day, you have an activity for the day. It can be “go to the christmas market”, “watch a christmas movie”, “bake some cookies”, “go out with friends”, “call a friend”, “write and send christmas cards”, “make some christmas decorations”, “make a christmas recipe”, “have a cocooning routine”, “go to the supermarket have a look on decorations” etc There are so many things you can do, for others, for yourself; Christmas activities, non-Christmas activities etc.
3# The Literature Lover Calendar Honestly, I would love to have such an Advent Calendar ! There could be 2 different versions of this one. The first would be to have a poem to read for each day, instead of the candy to eat. It can be your own poems or others’s. In the second version, instead of a poem each day, it would be an extract of a novel, the same novel all Advent along or different novels, depends on you. This way the one who receives this calendar will discover new authors, books, which seriously is perfect for every bookworm.
Of course there are so many other ideas. But these are definitely my favourites. I love them because they transform the traditionnal “a candy a day” calendar into something deeper. With these calendars, Advent isn’t about waiting for the next candy and eating these candies anymore, it’s about caring for others, learning something and nourishing your spirit, which is, according to me, very important.
What do you usually do for Advent Calendars? Classic or out of the box? Do you have this tradition at home? Anyway, thank you for passing by and reading this post of mine, I really appreciate.
I’ll talk to you soon in a next post.
Until then, take care of yourself ❤
Ady ❤
Little House of Ady 