CHRISTMAS CALENDARS & THE PERIOD OF ADVENT
Christmastime is magical! No wonder adults and children alike enjoy the build up from December the 1st through to the big day itself. Eden’s been looking into the period of Advent… and the traditions of counting down to Christmas
Historians estimate that Advent, which derives from the Latin word for coming, has been celebrated since the fourth century. The period, the four Sundays and weeks before Christmas, originally began as a time for converts to Christianity to prepare for baptism, but is now more commonly associated with the anticipation of the anniversary of Christ’s birth on December the 25th.
It’s believed that the idea for advent calendars originated in the mid-19th century, when German Protestant families made chalk marks on doors or lit candles to count the days leading up to Christmas.
The first ever Advent calendar was handmade in Germany in 1851, but Gerhard Lang is widely considered the producer of the first printed Advent calendar in the early 1900s. Then in 1958, the first Chocolate calendars were sold.
Nowadays, Bible verse, pictures and chocolates aren’t the only treasure to lie in wait behind the 24 little doors. Religious or not, today it seems grown-ups and little one’s alike, find themselves unlocking a wide range of daily treats. From Lego to make-up to images of Space, here’s a sneak peak at some of the available options…
OUT OF THIS WORLD
Free to all, the Big Picture photo blog features an Advent calendar countdown of spectacular daily images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
NUTCRACKER COUNTDOWN
The National Gallery are counting down to Christmas with this charming traditional Nutcracker soldier who features 24 drawers about his person for you to hide a treat, chocolate or message of choice. He will become part of your advent tradition if you bring him out year after year on the 1st December!
£22
JO MALONE UNDER WRAPS
Bold, bright and bursting with festive surprises; celebrate British style with unexpected fragrances and the elegant art of gift giving. Colognes, Candles and more, all by Jo Malone.
£300
THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
The Catholic Company can help you prepare for Christmas by finding a Bible reading that tells a part of the Nativity story for each day of the Advent season.
MAISON PIERRE MARCOLINI CHOCOLATE HEAVEN
Maison Pierre Marcolini was founded in Brussels in 1995 by Pierre Marcolini. Renowned for his expert skill and passion for creating the world’s best chocolates, this season, the Maison Pierre Marcolini calendar is bedecked in vibrantly colourful half-moons, allowing you to discover a different bite-size Maison special every day: think pralines, pistachio, caramel, fondant and nougat.
£49
Available from the Pierre Marcolini Marylebone Boutique, counters in Selfridges and Harrods, and online here from 9 November 2017.
LEGO FRIENDS
Count down to a LEGO® Friends Christmas this year! Building a truly magical Christmas party scene, with 24 compartments to open, with a surprise every day for the run up to Christmas. The calendar includes mini-doll Stephanie in a festive outfit, her furry friends and their homes, Christmas Tree, gifts and many more buildable surprises. With 24 new pieces from Dec 1st, you’ll build a Christmas party scene just in time for Christmas Day! Who doesn’t love the Danish brick brand?
£19.99
KISS & MAKE UP
Made up of a number of brands that put their heads together in Advent collaboration; this Limited Edition beauty has the lot! All your winter skincare must-haves, party makeup and hair essentials. Includes Estée Lauder, Clinique, Origins, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Aveda, Bumble and bumble, Darphin, Smashbox, GlamGlow and Michael Kors. £125
