Answer: The
word ‘Advent’ has a Latin origin meaning ‘the coming,’ or more accurately,
‘coming toward.’ For Christian believers, Christmas is one of the greatest
events in the yearly cycle, being the celebration of the greatest gift ever
given by God to mankind. That gift was Jesus, the Son of God Himself, born into
this world in human form and coming to live among us to show us the true nature
of God, experience human joy and sorrow along with us, and finally, going of
His own will to die a horrible, agonizing death. In this way the price was paid
for all human sin that had cut us off from our Holy God and Heavenly Father,
resulting in our complete and total reconciliation with Him.
Centuries
ago, the importance of this event caused many Christians to feel that it was
inadequate merely to mark off only one day on the yearly calendar for
celebrating this incredible gift from God. Believers had (and still do have)
such a sense of awe and overwhelming gratitude and wonder at what happened that
first Christmas that they felt the need for a period of preparation immediately
beforehand. They could then not only take time themselves to meditate on it,
but also teach their children the tremendous significance of Christmas.
At first,
the days preceding Christmas were marked off from December 1 with chalk on
believers’ doors. Then in Germany in the late 19th century the mother of a
child named Gerhard Lang made her son an Advent Calendar comprised of 24 tiny
sweets stuck onto cardboard. Lang never forgot the excitement he felt when he
was given his Advent calendar at the beginning of each December, and how it
reminded him every day that the great celebration of the whole year was
approaching ever nearer. As an adult he went into partnership with his friend
Reichhold and opened a printing office. In 1908, they produced what is thought
to be the first-ever printed Advent Calendar with a small colored picture for
each day in Advent. Later on, at the beginning of the 20th century, they hit on
the idea of making the pictures into little shuttered windows for the children
to open day by day in order to heighten their sense of expectation.
The idea
of the Advent Calendar caught on with other printing firms as the demand
swiftly increased, and many versions were produced, some of which would have
printed on them Bible verses appropriate to the Advent period. By now the
Advent Calendar had gained international popularity, and children all over the
world were clamoring for them as December approached. Unfortunately, the custom
came to an end with the beginning of the First World War when cardboard was
strictly rationed and only allowed to be used for purposes necessary to the war
effort. However, in 1946, when rationing began to ease following the end of the
Second World War, a printer named Richard Sellmer once again introduced the
colorful little Advent Calendar, and again it was an immediate success.
Sadly,
with the wane of Christianity in Western nations, the Advent Calendar, although
still enormously popular with all children, has lost its true meaning. Many,
many children and their parents have no idea of the history of the little
calendar or its true purpose, which is to prepare us for the celebration of the
advent of the Christ-child. Even if they do know, most would not care. Also,
the makers of today’s Advent calendars are anxious only to sell their product,
and the majority of these neither know nor care about the meaning and purpose
of Advent. Their calendars depict Santa Claus and his reindeer, snowmen, holly,
mistletoe, and all the secular trappings of Christmas behind the little windows,
often along with a piece of chocolate. Fortunately, however, Christian printers
are still with us to manufacture calendars for children from Christian families
that unfold the story of the nativity with each window that is opened. We, as
Christian believers, pray that one day the whole world will be aware of the
incredible wonder of the true meaning of Advent and Christmas. .(courtesy: GotQuestions.org)
