In praise of... Advent calendars

The Good Old Days

Pity the poor children
of today, with their calendars
stuffed with chocolates,
never to know the thrill 
of opening a small cardboard door
and discovering behind it
a picture of a bell.

~ Brian Bilston

Or a candle... Or maybe a snowflake, a donkey or a Christmas tree. The possibilities each day seemed endless, as did the excitement of trying to guess: the only picture which was always the same was the one for the 24th. A larger door, at the centre of our calendars, always opened on Advent's final day to reveal a nativity scene; signalling that yes, now we stood on the very threshold of Christmas.

Nativity-themed Advent calendars are rare nowadays. M&S are the only major retailer I know of which offers a religious calendar, alongside - this year - fairies and Where's Wally? I say 'alongside', but my parish priest has noticed that the M&S displays mean he has only ever seen the nativity on the very bottom shelf. There at the bottom, he said, beneath the fairies and Wally, we can find Jesus in his beautiful humility... Humble, yes; and at the same level as the littlest. And maybe it is we who must also be humble; must be prepared to kneel and bend low, to find Jesus, unexpected, hidden and overshadowed by the glittery and seemingly more attractive and prestigious...

And then last week, I shared Busted Halo's Advent in 2 Minutes video on social media. I've used it several times over the years, but even in its familiarity it can still speak to me anew. And last week I was struck by the reference to Advent calendars, with daily surprises (to help with joyful waiting). And the idea came to me of living this Advent as if it were a calendar, with the thrill of finding and noticing daily surprises, ideally at the time, or else as I review the day. Maybe nothing matching my childish excitement at a picture of a bell or a candle; but there is certainly loveliness waiting to be found, and kindness and particles of grace abounding all around, all given to help with joyful waiting. And the intention of finding it can transform what could otherwise pass me by as an ordinary, grey, drizzly day, and infuse this time of waiting with its own daily delight.

If your Advent is already stalling and you have two minutes, why not watch this video and see what it says to you...?