We've taken this approach for years but I have a de-stressing suggestion. I write out the activities (and a few Christmas jobs they help with like delivering cards to neighbors). But I only put them in that morning so I can choose something easy if I'm frazzled!!! We open them at dinner, which is candlelit throughout Advent -so soothing, even when it's fish fingers! Some years we string up a dozen pairs of thermal socks to put our activities and pieces of our nativity set in then deliver the socks to a local homeless shelter on Christmas Eve on our way to Church.
Cinnamon play dough sounds delicious, doesn’t it! That calendar is going to be such a treat.
We do stockings on Saint Nicholas day, a tradition my husband’s family did. I found it hard to switch from Christmas morning but I’m so glad I did--any spreading about of the newness is so helpful. We also don’t do the stockings...my in laws put them together for us. It’s quite a gift to me!
One of our kids’ favorite traditions is sleeping under the Christmas tree the first night we get it. Christmas lights, fresh tree smells and soft blankets...
I’m about to post about a book series we like to read, it begins with “Jotham’s Journey.”
I have just unpacked our homemade advent calendar (24 toilet rolls painted in stripes). Ready to be hung up on a branch we collected a few years back from Epping forest. Last year I bought a 24 pack of paint sticks as we were running low. This year will be a mix of preloved items and family fun ideas (walking around our neighbourhood to see the lights is my favourite.) I have resisted filling them with chocolates. Although this will get trickier as we are a blended family and my little one's siblings do get a more typical chocolate calendar.
Oh, this made me laugh! All of the crazy things you mention are good traditions but it's the pressure to do ALL of them and have them all be linked to *spending money* that is just so ridiculous. So sure, as your family does, do a really special Advent calendar, or whatever is meaningful for your family -- but don't do ALLLLLL the other things, too!!
wow, thats great! This time of year I'm glad I'm bringing up my children in Cambodia where there is a lot less of that Christmas Stuff You Must Do And Buy. Its going to be a shock for them if they ever move to Australia and find out they have been missing out on Pokémon calendars etc. We do a tree and a present each on the 25th, and take a few days off school, even if the rest of the country is going about their normal business.
This is absolutely brilliant, you've managed to combine my two favourite things, being: a fury about the Americanisation/commercialisation of Christmas, and a one-woman version of my childhood favourite, the Something To Do book (of which I still keep a copy). I just hope that I can find this post again in a couple of years when the grandchild who hasnt even been born yet is old enough to enjoy all these fab activities: all the things I didn't have time for when I was a working mum...
I love the sound of the Something To Do book. For future years with your grandchild you might also like Shirley Hughes’ book Snow in the Garden, which has gorgeous stories and poems, and of course her illustrations, but also several delightful, old-timey Christmas activities of the sort children have been doing for generations - not the sort made popular by overly-perfect Instagram posts!
I loved reading this! Thanks for sharing your Advent calendar list. Now I am adding "make Lebkuchen" to my list to bake asap (and by asap, I mean sometime in January when our calendar is a bit more calm and a new baked good will be the thrill of the month) :)
We've taken this approach for years but I have a de-stressing suggestion. I write out the activities (and a few Christmas jobs they help with like delivering cards to neighbors). But I only put them in that morning so I can choose something easy if I'm frazzled!!! We open them at dinner, which is candlelit throughout Advent -so soothing, even when it's fish fingers! Some years we string up a dozen pairs of thermal socks to put our activities and pieces of our nativity set in then deliver the socks to a local homeless shelter on Christmas Eve on our way to Church.
Cinnamon play dough sounds delicious, doesn’t it! That calendar is going to be such a treat.
We do stockings on Saint Nicholas day, a tradition my husband’s family did. I found it hard to switch from Christmas morning but I’m so glad I did--any spreading about of the newness is so helpful. We also don’t do the stockings...my in laws put them together for us. It’s quite a gift to me!
One of our kids’ favorite traditions is sleeping under the Christmas tree the first night we get it. Christmas lights, fresh tree smells and soft blankets...
I’m about to post about a book series we like to read, it begins with “Jotham’s Journey.”
Sleeping under the tree! How magical! And I will keenly await your post as always :)
Great post still! Updated Grapat link…https://www.grapat.eu/products/advent-calendar-2/
Oh gosh, you are so much more on the ball than me! Thank you, I’ve updated it.
“a Russian doll of festive misanthropy” - utter brilliance. 😂 (And often how I feel!)
It has been very heartening to discover how many other festively misanthropic Russian dolls there are out there!
I have just unpacked our homemade advent calendar (24 toilet rolls painted in stripes). Ready to be hung up on a branch we collected a few years back from Epping forest. Last year I bought a 24 pack of paint sticks as we were running low. This year will be a mix of preloved items and family fun ideas (walking around our neighbourhood to see the lights is my favourite.) I have resisted filling them with chocolates. Although this will get trickier as we are a blended family and my little one's siblings do get a more typical chocolate calendar.
Oh, this made me laugh! All of the crazy things you mention are good traditions but it's the pressure to do ALL of them and have them all be linked to *spending money* that is just so ridiculous. So sure, as your family does, do a really special Advent calendar, or whatever is meaningful for your family -- but don't do ALLLLLL the other things, too!!
I love it.
wow, thats great! This time of year I'm glad I'm bringing up my children in Cambodia where there is a lot less of that Christmas Stuff You Must Do And Buy. Its going to be a shock for them if they ever move to Australia and find out they have been missing out on Pokémon calendars etc. We do a tree and a present each on the 25th, and take a few days off school, even if the rest of the country is going about their normal business.
That simplicity sounds truly blissful!
This is absolutely brilliant, you've managed to combine my two favourite things, being: a fury about the Americanisation/commercialisation of Christmas, and a one-woman version of my childhood favourite, the Something To Do book (of which I still keep a copy). I just hope that I can find this post again in a couple of years when the grandchild who hasnt even been born yet is old enough to enjoy all these fab activities: all the things I didn't have time for when I was a working mum...
I love the sound of the Something To Do book. For future years with your grandchild you might also like Shirley Hughes’ book Snow in the Garden, which has gorgeous stories and poems, and of course her illustrations, but also several delightful, old-timey Christmas activities of the sort children have been doing for generations - not the sort made popular by overly-perfect Instagram posts!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Snow-Garden-First-Book-Christmas/dp/1406384488/ref=asc_df_1406384488/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310783995501&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15372879687906444709&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045881&hvtargid=pla-564072230787&psc=1&mcid=98e134463c3539948cdcf16e17beba08&th=1&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Something-do-Young-Puffin-Books/dp/0140302379/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32QULPCUMPNN6&keywords=something+to+do+book&qid=1701255076&sprefix=something+to+do%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1
This is an absolutely magical book. I still can recite most of the poems for each month!
Oh this book was MADE for me! Thank you for such a great recommendation!
I found this in a second hand bookshop recently and snapped it up immediately, such a great book!
What a find, I’m very envious!
I had my mum's copy as a child. Still have it and it's dog eared beyond belief from over use
I'm trying to decide if buying this at least three years before I can use it is foolish!
I loved reading this! Thanks for sharing your Advent calendar list. Now I am adding "make Lebkuchen" to my list to bake asap (and by asap, I mean sometime in January when our calendar is a bit more calm and a new baked good will be the thrill of the month) :)