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Christmas Advent Calendars – The Story Behind Its Origins
November 23rd, 2021
Advent calendars are rooted in the tradition of church history for centuries now, only to give us the modern versions in the late nineteenth century.
It carries the Protestant Christian tradition, which makes them carry an underlying spiritual message of anticipation and hope. That makes them a valuable aid for families as they remind the families of the holy coming of Jesus.
At Melt, we have taken the opportunity to introduce our modern take on advent calendars and paired each section of it with our wide range of finest chocolates made right in the heart of Notting Hill.
We think history holds importance in every tradition, so we have put together a guide that will assist you with everything you need to know about advent calendars.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Meaning of ‘Advent’
The word advent is derived from the Latin language – ‘adventus’ which simply means ‘arrival’ or ‘coming’. Put two and two together, advent means that time of the year when the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated.
Typically, the season of Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day and leads towards the festivities of December 25.
In simple terms, advent is that period before Christmas where we prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus Christ.
Spiritually, the importance of advent calendars is to establish the themes of self-reflection, anticipation, hope and eventually the joyful celebration on Christmas day.
The History of Advent Calendars
One of the many elements that have made it to the top of the list of the advent period are advent calendars.
Instead of following the traditional and strict four-week advent period, which starts anywhere between November 27 and December 3, the advent countdown usually begins on December 1 and counts till Christmas.
The traditional advent calendars were extremely simplistic, so much so that the nineteenth-century German families counted the days until Christmas by tallying on walls and doors with chalk.
With that, some people started making homemade calendars to mark every day until Christmas. In the 1900s, companies started to realise the true essence of this important Christmas tradition, so they started making simple printed calendars since then for people’s convenience.
Fast forward to today, we have so many creative Christmas advent calendars that are modern approaches to the traditional way of marking the days until Christmas.
While the major attraction of the calendars today has become the anticipated countdown (and our hidden chocolate treats), the true essence of these calendars resides in religious themes.
In simple terms, it is more than just a regular countdown; marking the days of the advent period serves for a greater purpose full of spiritual reflection and preparation for what is to come.
It is the season of waiting, recalling the longing that God’s people, for centuries, awaited for the Messiah.
The advent calendars can help you to experience, in the tiniest of the intensity, what it must have been like waiting for the Messiah, generation after generation. The Christmas celebration comes after; first, you need to walk through a season for the well-deserved feast.
Visit Our Website to Place Your Order for Advent Calendars
If you are looking for a unique take on Christmas advent calendars, Melt is the perfect place for you. For this festive season, we have paired tradition and modernity; our advent calendar comes with hidden gourmet treats to make your waiting period more delightful.
