Why bother with an Advent calendar?

My first Advent calendar was in a shoebox. Numbered doors round the outside walls, flaps tucked back in to reuse it each year. But the exciting bit was inside. A 3D tableau of the nativity scene. A window at one end looking in to the box. And masses of stars cut in the lid, their light shining down on the scene inside. It was magical. I loved it. The nativity at the centre. But it told me nothing at all about the real Christmas.

Modern-day Advent calendars are exciting too. They’re centred on something beginning with “Ch” – not Christ but chocolate. Most don’t mention Christmas – they’re about Barbie, Transformers or a favourite Disney character. So is this a rant about the commercialisation of Christmas? No. But hopefully a gentle nudge to reclaim Advent for Christ.

How to use a Christian Advent Calendar

• Shop around. There are still very traditional (dare I say boring?) calendars available. But also examples with modern illustrations that most children will find more appealing.
• If the calendar gives a Bible verse as well as a picture, read the verse together. Explain any unfamiliar words and help children understand how each verse fits in with the Christmas story.
• Rather than rushing to open the window before school, make it a family event. This could be at breakfast, round the tea table, or before bed. You could add a simple prayer thanking God for that part of the Christmas story, and that He kept His promise to send His rescuer King, Jesus.
• Use the calendar as the launch pad for a more structured family Bible time. You could do this yourself, taking the main Christmas narratives from Matthew and Luke as your starting point. Or try one of our Advent Calendar Packs, which include a booklet of short, simple family Bible times to use alongside the calendar.
• Most Christian calendars don’t include chocolate – but there’s no reason to miss out! If a chocolate-free calendar seems boring, or suggests Christians are spoilsports, buy a large tin of chocolates to go with it. After the door has been opened and discussed, each person chooses a chocolate from the tin. (This also stops siblings squabbling over who gets that day’s chocolate!)

How to use a secular Advent Calendar

• Even if you wouldn’t buy one yourself, a kind relative or friend may do. It’s probably best not to refuse it or chuck it in the bin as a distasteful example of today’s falling standards…
• Secular calendars may avoid words like “Advent” and “Christmas” – but they still offer an opportunity to count down the days in December. A simple prayer will help turn this into a more Christ-centred event. “Thank you Lord for the fun we’ve had opening today’s door. Thank you that we are one day closer to Christmas. Thank you most of all for keeping your promise to send Jesus as our rescuer King.”
• With older children, you can also pray for someone who isn’t a Christian and won’t be celebrating the real Christmas. Perhaps a school friend, relative, or even the person who gave them the calendar. Pray for them every day, asking that this will be the Christmas when they understand the real reason Jesus was born. If they live nearby, you can also involve your child in inviting this person to a Christmas event. This could make that secular calendar the most Christ-centred one you’ve ever used!