Like many other aspects of Christmas celebrations, the Advent calendar is of German origin. Its current form is known all over the world. Every year it brings a lot of joy to children who look forward to this special day and the arrival of Santa Claus with a bag of gifts.
The Advent calendar appeared in the 19th century and had many predecessors. At that time, Advent in the Catholic Church was not only about daily prayers. In Catholic families, children placed one blade of straw in the manger each day so that baby Jesus could lie comfortably. In Protestant families, Advent time with prayers and Christmas contemplation took place in family circles. There, one of the 24 lines drawn with chalk on the door was crossed out. To make the countdown to Christmas Eve easier, some Protestant parents created "Christmas clocks". It was a round face divided into 12 or 24 segments. Each segment included several Bible verses. This was also one of the sources of the Advent calendar.
In 1904, the Advent calendar was printed as an insert in the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper. It was based on an idea by Gerhard Lang. Lang's calendar was inspired by one his mother made for him. It consisted of "Wibele" - a type of oblong sponge cakes. Its first printed version, however, consisted of only 24 color pictures.
Lang then modified his calendars to include the small doors that are a staple of most Advent calendars today. Such calendars with opening windows and a gift for each day of Advent became a commercial success not only in Germany but also around the world.
If you are looking for an Advent calendar that children will like, we recommend Milka calendars with sweets. Such an Advent calendar can be purchased in stores where MPT Stanro delivers its products.[:]
