Advent - Preparing the Way

Preparing the Way to Christmas - That's Advent

Sunday, December 1 marked the first day/week in Advent. Does your family have any Advent traditions?

We've done a combination of things...daily calendars with pictures behind the doors or chocolate. Yum! A wreath of greens with four candles. But the one thing that does happen almost every year is the arrival of the German Christmas Advent House Pyramid. (Click the link to learn about the history of these houses.) Some years it comes out on Christmas Eve, but this year we are right on time!

Haley, Kaya, Kirsten, Lanie, Melody

And there it is!
What?
The Advent House Pyramid.
What?
A type of Advent Calendar that counts down the time until Christmas.
Oh.

There are four doors?
One for each week in Advent.

Kirsten, you open the first one.

It's a baker inside.
He's an angel too. Look at the little green wings.
Preparing all the goodies that make Christmas a festival.
What is your favorite Christmas treat?

There is a Nativity scene in the bottom level.
And look there are the sheep, a shepherd and the kings.
What are the four points at the corners?
Those hold candles. Each week you open a door and light a candle. On the fourth week the heat from the candles rises to the paddles causing the top and ring with the kings to spin. It's really neat.
Do we have candles?
No, they are a special size that is not common in the US. Now in Germany...
That's too bad.

It's still very pretty and still helps us prepare the way for Christmas.

This is a really big one (by Richard Glasser). There are others much smaller and simpler.

What is you favorite Advent tradition?

Thank you for stopping by. Hope to see you again soon.

Best wishes!