My mum texted me today.
‘Sorry son. Just realised I didn’t get you an advent calendar! What a bad mother you have!!!’
It set me thinking. Why on earth do we have Advent calendars? Why are they for the twenty-five days of December, rather than the four (or so) weeks of Advent? Why do they contain cheap chocolate and an inoffensive ‘season’s greetings’? More importantly: where can I get one?!
A quick trip to Sainsbury’s later, and I was feeling down about it all. The only ones they had were made by Cadbury’s – not my preferred brand of chocolate to say the least. Already deflated by the over-emphasis we place on hollow Christmas-isms, I trudged home in the snow and got to thinking some more. What do I want every day from now until Christmas? Answer: music (as ever) and ‘the real Advent’. I’m sure a dash of wistful introspection wouldn’t go amiss, either! Coupled with a need for structure in my spiritual life, I made a pledge to write a short blog-let every day, based on snippets of carols. Hopefully I can provide some insight as you journey with me on this project. I am using Hymns & Psalms as the source for my carols, and ESV as my Bible translation, should it be required. I hope these don’t offend.
So, here it is; my daily present to you, the gift that keeps on giving. Prise open the perforated cardboard to find a chocolatey snippet of a carol a day, and my reflections thereupon.
An alternative advent calendar.
