What is Advent Calendar？

    The word Advent means "Jesus is coming". In the Christmas tradition, there is a time of waiting for the coming of Jesus - Advent - a time of spirituality, repentance, and waiting.

    Parents will prepare the Advent Calendar for their children before this period, which is a very elaborate and special calendar, usually with 24 or 25 grids on it, and can be opened from December 1. Children can open one box per day, which contains a surprising small gift. We use this small ritual to count down to the arrival of Christmas. When all the boxes are opened, Christmas will be here.

Origin of the Advent Calendar.

    The Advent Calendar, is a Christmas custom that originated in Germany. The concept first appeared in the early 19th century in the Lutheran Church (a major Catholic denomination), and at that time people simply recorded the 24 days before the birth of Jesus in December.

    The first day of each Advent is called Advent Sunday, which also marks the beginning of the liturgical year in Christianity. However, since there is no fixed date for Advent Sunday, which is roughly between November 27 and December 3, the Christmas calendar starts on December 1. At that time, people would mark this period by drawing a chalk line on the door every day, lighting a new candle every day, or hanging a new religious painting. In Sweden, four candles are set up and one is lit every other week, and when all four candles are lit, it means Christmas is here.

Evolution of the advent calendar.

    The traditional advent calendar had a strong religious meaning. The calendar would depict Nativity scenes of the coming of Jesus, the Christian saint Saint Nicolas (also the prototype for Santa Claus), and scenes of people living in winter.

    There are also many different forms of advent calendars, the simplest being a calendar with the dates covered with paper; there are also small pockets sewn onto each date on a background picture with a story of the characters; and painted wooden boxes with a small gift inside each one.

    However,most advent calendars are the same as the one we see now, with a box with 24 small windows, one window opening each day from the Advent period until Christmas Eve, December 24. Generally, the small windows are placed in different locations throughout the calendar, not in order one by one as in the traditional calendar, so each day the windows are opened in a different location.

    Each small window when opened may be a picture, a poem, part of a short story or a small gift. Each small window will also have a Bible verse or Christian prayer on the front and a fun game such as a puzzle on the back.

Types of  advent calendar

    Nowadays, there is a very diverse range of advent calendars. Every year during Christmas, there are sought-after beauty and skincare advent calendars.In UK all the major supermarkets also put up advent calendars with hidden chocolates or toys, and there are even special advent calendars for pets. In addition, many families are willing to work with their children to make an advent calendar, their own DIY advent calendar is also more chic.

    In addition to the UK, European countries also have their own national advent calendars exclusive to December. For example, since 1957, countries such as Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Finland have had a radio or TV show advent calendar. Starting from December 1, there is a special Christmas program every day, either for the whole family or exclusively for children.

What is Cateared advent calendar？

    Cateared advent calendar is an advent calendar from Cateared, a special attempt.Many brands are launching their own advent calendars now, so why can't there be an advent calendar exclusive to diamond painting lovers? This is it. Like other brand-specific advent calendars, this one contains diamond painting-related products. As a diamond painting fan, you can probably guess what's inside, well there are definitely surprises that you can't guess.

    By the way, from 14th, everyone can earn points when they shop on Cateared's website.Points can be exchanged for vouchers.

To sum up

    Nowadays,buying an advent calendar has become one of the traditional customs of Christmas. In fact, for many people, advent calendars are not only a tool to count the hours, but also become a thing to celebrate Christmas, regulate the mood of winter and increase the fun of life. Every day open a small window, harvest a gift, the whole day will be incomparably happy!