Abedy 0 #1 December 4, 2011 Just being curious... Do you have an Advent Calendar at home? We're not Christian but we have secular calendars. My wife's calendar is quite huge filled with Chocolate truffles for each day - she's quite slim so good on her Mine is much smaller, with a jelly bear every day. "Normal" Advent Calendars just provide nice pics (usually for kids) behind small "doors". There are also "adult" issues, but well... Shah? I haven't seen a skydiving-related Advent Calendar so far, would be great, huh?The sky is not the limit. The ground is. The Society of Skydiving Ducks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #2 December 4, 2011 I have one that my grandmother made for me about 25 years ago. She passed away last week, so it brings a special meaning to my heart every day when I use it. My kids loved doing the advent calendar when they were young, trading who got to do an odd or even day. As they got into their teen years, I figured I'd have to remind them to do it. I never had to, they did it first thing in the morning before school. That always gave me a chuckle. My daughter recently moved to GA, and this will be her first Chistmas away from home. I sent her a chocolate advent calendar in the mail this week. She LOVED the surprise! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldwomanc6 38 #3 December 5, 2011 Yes! When the kids were little, I always got the "chocolate piece a day" one. About 15 years ago, I bought a really neat one that has little figurines tucked in pockets. They all have velcro, so when all is said and done (and Christmas morning is here), the entire Nativity Scene is revealed. lisa WSCR 594 FB 1023 CBDB 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nanook 1 #4 December 5, 2011 Got one myself. Chocolates behind doors except the 25th. A stuffed animal. Here's a photo of mine on the fireplace. It makes my daughter's day. _____________________________ "The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abedy 0 #5 December 5, 2011 Wow! You got some really nice-looking wooden Nussknacker (nutcracker) figurines. If they are REAL ones (i. e. from Germany, more precise from the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) area) you must have spent a fortune? Don't tell me they're cheap Chinese replicas I added a pic of a Ore Mountain-type (decorative) nutcracker (from the town of Seiffen) which looks pretty much like the ones you have. The sky is not the limit. The ground is. The Society of Skydiving Ducks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nanook 1 #6 December 6, 2011 Years in Germany as a child has influence on my holiday decorations. I still have a good portion of my parents christmas tree ornaments from that period. I remember going shopping for them at wood ships around Heidelberg. I didn't bring those nutcrackers back with me though. My father-in-law gave them to us last christmas and they don't have any signatures or markings like our ornaments. I'm assuming "made in china for walmart" jobs here. You can see slight hammer marks underneath the paint underneath the base_____________________________ "The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pchapman 262 #7 December 6, 2011 As a kid in Canada I enjoyed having the Advent calendars with the chocolate. My mom, from Dresden, always does the wreath & candles thing too. I'm actually surprised to occasionally see the calendars in regular grocery stores here in Ontario, not just say as specialty items in European delis. I just didn't expect the whole Advent thing to be widespread enough for such products to be available here. But I know little of religion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abedy 0 #8 December 6, 2011 I suppose the German style of celebrating XMas is quite powerful when it comes to spreading around the world. Queen Victoria's husband, Albert brought the tradition of the XMas tree to England, at least according to popular belief. (Haven't done much research since I'm not a Christian.) OTOH, the American style has made its way over the Atlantic and now we have American-style Santas, overflowing ornaments and lights - the whole thing got much more commercialised within about 10 years.The sky is not the limit. The ground is. The Society of Skydiving Ducks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abedy 0 #9 December 6, 2011 Quote As a kid in Canada I enjoyed having the Advent calendars with the chocolate. My mom, from Dresden, always does the wreath & candles thing too. Do you also have a "Schwibbogen" then? They are typical window decorations throughout Saxony and Thuringia, originally coming from the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge). Quote I'm actually surprised to occasionally see the calendars in regular grocery stores here in Ontario, not just say as specialty items in European delis. I just didn't expect the whole Advent thing to be widespread enough for such products to be available here. But I know little of religion. After all, chocolate-filled Advent calendars should sell pretty well so once they are "discovered" by supermarket chains they should make their way to the homes of Canadians As for religion: XMas, especially in the Eastern parts of Germany, has become a rather secular holiday. It's much more about family gathering, being together, celebrating peace, presents etc. The core of XMas without religious overhead, so to say. Even in Western parts only about 50% of people attend services at church.The sky is not the limit. The ground is. The Society of Skydiving Ducks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pchapman 262 #10 December 6, 2011 Quote Do you also have a "Schwibbogen" then? . No, but she displays a whole lot of little handpainted wooden angel figurines, and we have a wooden 'Christmas pyramid', one of those carousel things powered by fan blades above candles. That's always a curiosity when guests come over. I guess those are traditional Erzgebirge area crafts. And my mom always has a real tree, with candles on it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygypsie 2 #11 December 6, 2011 I'm sorry to hear of your loss of your grandmother ! Handmade special gifts from special people are so treasured...no doubt more so now, for you! May you have peace & a wonderful Holiday Season remembering her ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygypsie 2 #12 December 6, 2011 I give my grandkids one every year for Thanksgiving...to start off their Holiday excitement ! I remember experiencing one for the 1st time in my 2nd grade homeroom class...just a few days after JFK's assassination No doubt, a teacher would be fired these days. if one was brought into a class room & the meaning explained, but fondly remembered & enjoyed the meaning enough to make it a tradition for my son's each year as they grew up & now passed it on to my grandchildren ! They look forward to, & expect it each Thanksgiving Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #13 December 6, 2011 I still love the Catalan Crapper ..... (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Namowal 0 #14 December 6, 2011 QuoteJust being curious... Do you have an Advent Calendar at home? When I was growing up my little brother received a quasi-advent calender about a week before Christmas: A box of small candy canes, one for each day until the big day came. I remember this conversation: Little Brother: "Mom, how many days till Christmas?" Mom: "Five" Little Brother (after checking his candy cane supply): "Nope. It's three"My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #15 December 6, 2011 Quote I'm sorry to hear of your loss of your grandmother ! Handmade special gifts from special people are so treasured...no doubt more so now, for you! May you have peace & a wonderful Holiday Season remembering her ! Thank-you very much! The stockings she made for my kids almost fell into the fire the other night (they landed in the ashes). I don't know what I would have done if they had gotten ruined, they would have been the only ones out of 9 Grandkids and 17 Great-Gradkids not to have one of her homemade stockings. We're going to take the stockings down now before starting fires!She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abedy 0 #16 December 6, 2011 Quote ...we have a wooden 'Christmas pyramid', one of those carousel things powered by fan blades above candles. That's always a curiosity when guests come over. I guess those are traditional Erzgebirge area crafts. And my mom always has a real tree, with candles on it. Lucky you. The "Weihnachtspyramide" is sort of a must in most homes around XMas. One of the biggest can be seen at the Dresden "Striezelmarkt" BTW, it's held the 577th time in 2011. Another XMas decoration are so-called "Räuchermännchen" or "Räucherfiguren". They are carved wooden figurines, looking like miners (traditional Smoking Man) or can also be cops, doctors, teachers, nurses etc etc. They're hollow inside and a small cone of incense is placed (and lit) in it and it gives of the scent through its open mouth. The bigger figurines are quite impressive (and expensive) and I sent two of them to my friends in Western Australia. The figurines are "bird sellers" with small cages with birds on their backs. Very impressive to the mates and sheilas, they told me The link provides a collection of "Räuchermännchen" figurines.The sky is not the limit. The ground is. The Society of Skydiving Ducks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abedy 0 #17 December 6, 2011 Quote No doubt, a teacher would be fired these days. if one was brought into a class room & the meaning explained, I am sure there isn't a single classroom in any of the primary schools and kindergartens around without an Advent calendar. OK, the calendars have become more or less secular items but it would be a shame if they were verboten. But we live in Thuringia (same in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt) the core lands of Reformation with quite a strong Lutheran tradition, mixed with Atheist adoption/assimilation/takeover of Christian holidays. BTW: Today is what we call "Nikolaustag" - If kids (and grown-ups) shine their shoes (used to be boots, called "Nikolausstiefel = Nicolaus boot) and place them on the door mat the night before, Saint Nicolaus is supposed to come around and put some chocolate, candies, pralinés etc into the shoes. Huhu. He brought me some fine chocolate truffles last night. BTW: Some kids are really disappointed once they are told/find out it's mom or dad who place the treats in the boots...The sky is not the limit. The ground is. The Society of Skydiving Ducks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abedy 0 #18 December 6, 2011 Quote Little Brother (after checking his candy cane supply): "Nope. It's three" Huhuhuhu... Same problem here - parents of smaller kids have to take care the spoiled little brats don't consume the treats before they are due The sky is not the limit. The ground is. The Society of Skydiving Ducks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygypsie 2 #19 December 7, 2011 I know what you mean... My mom made so many sentimental gifts for me & my 9 siblings & her 52 grandkids & great grandkids, over the years...including stockings. Though my stocking & other treasured items she made were lost in a flood here in Fond du Lac 3 years ago, I do still have quite a few momentos left. They mean so much more to me now that she's gone & I now have them all displayed throughout my house. I understand why she took so much time & effort in making them...they keep her close in my heart, as I look over each one & imagine her fingers, intent & emotions while making each one...adding to the legacy she left with us all! I now try to pass on her traditions by ( my husband & I) making most all gifts for my son's, their wive's & my 3 grandkids, & for his family for birthdays & Christmas. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nanook 1 #20 December 9, 2011 QuoteAnd my mom always has a real tree, with candles on it. This is my earliest memory of a christmas tree. Now if I can have my wife buy off on that this year. . ._____________________________ "The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
