Advent Calendar

Today I have been wondering why Advent Calendars always start on December 1st, when Advent almost always starts on another date.

Advent Sunday is the first day of Advent, and that is always the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. My list of Movable Feasts gives the range of dates for Advent Sunday from November 27th to December 3rd.

During the years 2005 to 2025, Advent Sunday will be December 1st on only 3 occasions during that 21 year period. As one might expect - once in every seven years!

The number of days in Advent varies from 22 to 28. This year my Divine Fair Trade Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar should have 26 windows, with a total of 26 chocolates. But no, it only has 24 chocolates, starting from 1st December. My mouth is already watering, and my impatience is mounting. But I will have to wait until tomorrow for my first Advent Chocolate.

I am sure that one day, some enterprising manufacturer will realise that they can beat their competitors by offering an Advent Calendar that has all the days of Advent included, not only the standard 24 from December 1st.

Until then, my mouth will be watering in anticipation.

We hunger after Christmas Food and Christmas Presents so much more readily than we hunger after a relationship with Jesus. Once he was a Baby, then a Man, and all the time, and beyond, God Himself.

And Divine do a Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar too!