Advent Calendars

The teddy bears love having an Advent calendar before Christmas. Opening a little numbered door, or an envelope or small box, to reveal a prize is very exciting!

Advent is a religious period beginning on the Sunday nearest the Feast Of St Andrew The Apostle (on 30th November), through the following 3 Sundays. Historians estimate that Advent, which derives from the Latin word for 'coming', has been celebrated since the 4th Century.

Nowadays it is more commonly associated with the lead-up to Christmas Day which is still a holy festival of the anniversary of Christ's birth on 25th December.

Today, Advent calendars begin on 1st December and mark the 24 days before Christmas Day. Usually they involve the opening of paper doors or lids of boxes to reveal a Christmassy image, a piece of chocolate or other small gift.

The tradition dates to the mid-19th Century when German Protestants made chalk marks on doors or lit candles to count the days leading up to Christmas.

The teddy bears are always very thrilled when they receive their Advent calendar on 1st December. They take it in turns to open each day's surprise. If there are sweeties inside (one of their favourite types of surprises!) they are especially well received.

This year their Advent calendar had individual envelopes which included a chocolate coin, and a joke or riddle, and a small ornament for their very own Christmas tree. The chocolate coin is claimed by the 'opener' who also then reads out the joke or riddle (hopefully making the other bears laugh, or maybe groan), and then chooses where to place the ornament on the tree.

The tree was chosen by all the bears beforehand as they were going to decorate one for themselves anyway. It is simply a twiggy branch from one of the trees in their garden and they have placed it in a pot indoors.

Once it is covered with pretty Christmas ornaments from the Advent calendar, and maybe some lights and tinsel, it will look gorgeous.

Will you be receiving an Advent calendar this year? They are such fun! If you want to see how the one the teddy bears received was made then click here to go to the HowTo video.

And, talking of Christmas, here is another competition which the teddy bears have set up for you to enter. You could win your very own Edward teddy bear! (You can read all about him here!)

Click here to go to the competition page, where you will find all the rules and instructions.

Good luck!