African Vanielje on Dec 01 2007 at 7:39 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
Today is the first day of December which in our house means the advent calendars come out. Over the years we have had some really lovely ones. Last year we had a beautiful cut out photograph of the Basilica San Marco in Venezia. It’s one of my favourite buildings, with all the angels and whimsical stars. Just up my street. All the little windows opened up to reveal a host of heavenly angels from famous old masters, with the birth of Jesus being revealed on 25th. Dakota and I lit a tea-light behind the calendar each morning so that she could look at the ‘illuminated angels’ as she ate her breakfast.
The year before we were in Africa, my mom and I were in the middle of high season at her Wine Estate restaurant, which meant we were working 24/7, yet we decided to make their calendars ourselves that year. We bought two swathes of beautiful purple hand dyed and hand made felt. We cut little pockets of shiny gold and teal out of the remains of a ball gown my aunt had made me, and nightly we sowed these on with thread of gold. Inside each pocket was a miniature silhouette of a character in the nativity story, threaded on a gold loop, ready to hang on two miniature trees. Every night when we came home from work, we would sit (at 3 am more often than not) sewing on another pocket, cutting out camels, lambs, shepherds, angels and eventually Mary, Joseph, a manger and a swaddled infant. We’d roll up the felt and tie it with a sparkly ribbon, then set it at their breakfast places, together with a small candle each, ready to be discovered in the morning. For the whole of December, despite the fact that in Africa this is mid summer, we would eat our breakfast by candlelight, with all the curtains drawn, while special scrolls were unrolled and the newest pocket was investigated. The latest character would be brought out to be hung on their trees and my mom and I would take turns to continue with the next installment of the story of Jesus’ birth.
One year we made miniature ’stages’ out of water-coloured cartridge paper. Up the centre of the backdrop was a ladder with 24 rungs and at the bottom, a manger. 2 watercolour cut outs, an angel and a baby daily descended, deus ex machina, from heaven towards the cradle at the bottom. Each slot for the angel was only cut the night before on the next rung of the ladder, and our children were young enough to be caught up in the magic of how this happened as they would investigate the next rung of the ladder to ensure it had no slit, and prepare to be amazed each morning as the angels continued their inexorable descent. A gold star would also appear in the sky until by Christmas morning the heavens were ablaze with light.
I remember all of these fondly, as does my daughter, but this year she chose the advent calendar pictured above. I like it, it’s sweet Victorian nostalgia reminding me of calendars we had as children, yet this is not why she chose it. She chose it, yes, you guessed it, because behind each little window is a little festive themed chocolate mould.
Our advent calendars, she informed me, were very nice, but she’s growing up now and she’d like a real calendar this year, you know, one with chocolates mom! So I have resigned myself to a daily pre-breakfast sugar and cocoa intake. At least she picked a calendar with good German chocolate. I might even get a nibble if she gets into the Christmas spirit.
Good German Chocolate?
Dakota is obviously a child prodigy…my oldest is too..she pilfered the best out of an entire ballitin of Godiva Chocolate once eons ago when she was 2
Your site looks beautiful.
As opposed to cheap crap cadbury’s chocolate. Godiva would do. For chocolate artistry check out the link that EJM left on my kaffeeklatsch post. It’s like cocoa michelangelo.
Thanks for the compliment on the site. still a few problems but I’m getting there
What a lovely post… and the dedication involved in your make-it-yourself advent calendar! You and your Mom get my vote for Super Mom and Super grandmother!
Such a nice way to begin Advent. We had an Advent calendar each year as I was growing up and as my kids were growing up, too. As Kate and Max grew older, they wanted the one with the chocolate, too. My favorite is the one you make from purple felt and with the mini ornaments in the pockets…sewn on each night/early morning…what loving care and creativity, too.
What beautiful ideas for advent calendars ans such dedication sewing them and cutting out at 3 in the morning!
Candlelit Christmassey things always feel a bit strange here in the middle of summer, but we are going to an advent spiral this afternoon, where the children carry a candle to the centre of a sprial laid out with pine branches and light it at a big candle in the middle – the smell of pine and teh candles always feel Christmas-like however hot it is outside.
Thanks Ann, it seemed like a good idea at the time but by around the 15th when we were soooo busy it started to seem more like insanity. Still, it was worth it for their little faces each morning
Elle, it wouldn’t be advent without it, and when I suggested using last year’s calendar my daughter was horrified. My mom has just sent me pics of her advent decorations so I will post those shortly
Oh what a lovely idea Kit. I’m going to cut some bay branches to make a wreath today so that we can light our first advent candle, then one more each sunday till CHristmas. We are lucky that the estate where we live grows CHristmas trees to sell so in a week or two we will go out with the park warden and pick a tree to cut down for CHristmas.
How wonderful – I especialyl like the ladder advent! But I have to say I am with your daughter on the chocolate idea… I also voted for the calendar that keeps on giving!! My brother spent many hours trying to get into the back of such calendars to get at the chocolates without having to wait for each window to open on its appointed day… whereas I hoarded all the chocolates till Christmas day!