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Ho! Ho! Ho! The History of Christmas

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Advent Calendar

Advent is the four-week period preceding the Christmas season and begins on the Sunday nearest November 30, the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle. The word "advent," from Latin, means "the coming." For centuries, Advent has been a time of spiritual reflection as well as one of cheer and anticipation. Considered a fun way to count down the days until Christmas, an Advent calendar is a card or poster with 24 small doors, one to be opened each day until Christmas Eve. Each door conceals a picture. This popular tradition arose in Germany in the late 1800s and soon spread throughout Europe and North America.

Fun Fact: The images in Advent calendars were originally derived from the Hebrew Bible. In modern times, many Advent calendars have no religious content and sometimes contain chocolate treats.

Next: Christmas Carols

More on: Christmas

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