The Wooden Advent Calendar: Where It All Began
Today is December 1—the day to open the first door or drawer in an Advent calendar.
Advent calendars have always been a part of the Christmas celebration in my family. My sister, Judi, has a birthday in mid-November. My birthday is in late December. For as long as I can remember, we’ve given each other Advent calendars as birthday gifts almost every year.
A number of years ago, Judi was living in Germany, where Advent calendars originated in the late 1800s. That year, Judi really outdid herself by sending an authentic German calendar, large and wooden, with little surprises slipped into each drawer. My son, Nathan, was about four years old at the time. He thought the whole concept of a little treat each day in December was pretty neat.
The next year (and every year since!), Nathan assumed ownership of the Advent calendar and declared that I should fill the 24 drawers with surprises for him. That turned out to be no small task. It’s not easy to find 24 things that are small enough to fit in those drawers that won’t rot your teeth or end up in the bin of forgotten trinkets.
Each year, I try to come up with something different to put in the drawers of the Advent calendar. One year, I put a couple pieces of a jigsaw puzzle in each drawer for Nathan to piece together during the Christmas season. Last year, each drawer held one step from a set of GPS directions leading to a surprise destination on December 24. Whatever the theme, I try to tie it in with the true meaning of Christmas.
In 2010, I had the thought to fill each drawer with the page from a Christmas story. Unfortunately, I didn’t get this idea until about November 29th. I wanted the story to be one that would be new to Nathan. I wanted it to be related to the first Christmas in Bethlehem. I looked online to see if I could find a story to download, but nothing seemed to suit my requirements. So I was inspired to write a story instead.
I knew Nathan enjoyed stories about animals. The old Christmas carol “The Friendly Beasts” came to mind. In this song, each animal in the stable tells of the gifts he or she gave the infant Jesus.
I thought Nathan would relate more to a dog than to a cow or a donkey, so I created the character of Thaniel the Spaniel. Then I tried to answer the question of what Thaniel would have given the Christ child if he’d had a verse in the song. The result was the first draft of The Innkeeper’s Dog . I divided the story into 24 small segments and put one page each day, illustrated with clip art, in the drawers of the Advent calendar.
The Innkeeper’s Dog became a special story for our family that Christmas. Thaniel and I hope it will become a special story for your family this Christmas.
Advent calendars have always been a part of the Christmas celebration in my family. My sister, Judi, has a birthday in mid-November. My birthday is in late December. For as long as I can remember, we’ve given each other Advent calendars as birthday gifts almost every year.
A number of years ago, Judi was living in Germany, where Advent calendars originated in the late 1800s. That year, Judi really outdid herself by sending an authentic German calendar, large and wooden, with little surprises slipped into each drawer. My son, Nathan, was about four years old at the time. He thought the whole concept of a little treat each day in December was pretty neat.The next year (and every year since!), Nathan assumed ownership of the Advent calendar and declared that I should fill the 24 drawers with surprises for him. That turned out to be no small task. It’s not easy to find 24 things that are small enough to fit in those drawers that won’t rot your teeth or end up in the bin of forgotten trinkets.
Each year, I try to come up with something different to put in the drawers of the Advent calendar. One year, I put a couple pieces of a jigsaw puzzle in each drawer for Nathan to piece together during the Christmas season. Last year, each drawer held one step from a set of GPS directions leading to a surprise destination on December 24. Whatever the theme, I try to tie it in with the true meaning of Christmas.
In 2010, I had the thought to fill each drawer with the page from a Christmas story. Unfortunately, I didn’t get this idea until about November 29th. I wanted the story to be one that would be new to Nathan. I wanted it to be related to the first Christmas in Bethlehem. I looked online to see if I could find a story to download, but nothing seemed to suit my requirements. So I was inspired to write a story instead.
I knew Nathan enjoyed stories about animals. The old Christmas carol “The Friendly Beasts” came to mind. In this song, each animal in the stable tells of the gifts he or she gave the infant Jesus.
I thought Nathan would relate more to a dog than to a cow or a donkey, so I created the character of Thaniel the Spaniel. Then I tried to answer the question of what Thaniel would have given the Christ child if he’d had a verse in the song. The result was the first draft of The Innkeeper’s Dog . I divided the story into 24 small segments and put one page each day, illustrated with clip art, in the drawers of the Advent calendar.
The Innkeeper’s Dog became a special story for our family that Christmas. Thaniel and I hope it will become a special story for your family this Christmas.
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