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Do we do Advent Calendars?

Every year, Uncle B very kindly buys me an Advent Calendar. I tend to get horribly behind, because it wasn’t a feature of my childhood and I forget.

Do Americans do Advent? I know the calendars aren’t common, but I wonder if observation of the Advent might be. Catholics, maybe?

I was raised plain vanilla Presbyterian, me.

Comments


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: December 6, 2021, 8:48 pm

Used to be Catholic, “sister” schooled and everything and yes we did Advent.

That may have changed, who knows these days with Pope Commie Socialist the 1st.

In fairness, the church was always kinda that way if you get hold of the history they DIDN’T teach us at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea. Back then your earthly possessions, and your soul, didn’t belong to the state, they belonged to the Church, heh, which for a long time was the State.

I miss latin mass, if they restored it I might go just for the memories.

Priest:
Hehyou wanna play dominos or checkers?

All:
Howbout whist.

Priest:
Betcha my father plays dominos better than your father plays dominos.

All:
The hell he caaa-aaan.

Speaking of Americans – do the Brits sing “Jingle Bells”?
I saw a movie last night where a bunch of Scots (yes, I know, NOT to be confused with Brits…) were having a party, (with a leading American Actress), and they sang “Jingle Bells”. I wondered if it had crossed the Atlantic to the point where it’s commonly sung over there at this time of year.


Comment from OldFert
Time: December 6, 2021, 9:49 pm

Catholics still observe Advent, but in my yoot never did have an Advent calendar. Mrs Fert was raised Methodist but she wasn’t familiar with the Advent calendar thingie either.

I think I did see them referenced in ads and stories and such when I was young, just never saw one in the wild or in captivity.

Durned: You can probably find a Latin Mass in your diocese. Try a google/bing/ddg search. Just checked and there’s a website (isn’t there always) https://www.latinmassdir.org/ but I couldn’t tell you how accurate or current it is.


Comment from Uncle Badger
Time: December 6, 2021, 10:57 pm

Yes, we have Jingle Bloody Bells.
Thanks for the ear worm 😉


Comment from Uncle Al
Time: December 6, 2021, 11:17 pm

@Uncle Badger — Here’s a likely cure for the JB ear worm. Of course, it may become an ear worm itself, so you may need yet another cure.

Beware recursion!


Comment from thefritz
Time: December 6, 2021, 11:25 pm

Ooo, Swease and me are Presby’s! Raised hard core Presbyterian cuz my mom told my dad we ain’t gonna be Baptists. I got a Full Monty Presby upbringing.
Complete with Sunday school, camp and weekly teen club meetings. Smoked my first joint at camp, diddled my first girl at a club outing and won the competition to recite the books of the bible the fastest at camp. My wife is Catholic. We have two advent calendars.


Comment from Ben
Time: December 6, 2021, 11:28 pm

Raised Catholic, we did Advent.

Big Clive has you covered on you to do Advent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruxyeD5uRuY


Comment from AliceH
Time: December 7, 2021, 12:13 am

We had 2 cheap advent calenders which were reused every year. There was no religious connection to our use of them, though. I remember asking what advent meant, but didn’t really understand the answer. To me, it was simply a fun way to countdown to Christmas. And I thought they were pretty.


Comment from Armybrat
Time: December 7, 2021, 3:09 am

I was raised Methodist. When living in the states, we didn’t do advent but when living overseas, we did. So advent is more of a cultural thing for me than a religious thing. Of the 4 of us kids, two married Catholics and raised their children catholic. We all still do advent calendars, probably more for the nostalgia of them then anything else.


Comment from bds
Time: December 7, 2021, 4:05 am

Don’t do advent as such, but we do enjoy doing the calendars with our boys. The LEGO ones are rather nifty, though expensive.


Comment from Mrs. Peel
Time: December 7, 2021, 5:24 am

Protestant here. Advent yes – it’s the four Sundays before Christmas, at which we sing O Come O Come Emmanuel – but Advent calendars no. (no objections to them, just never did them)

My husband once wore a purple shirt to work during Advent. He had no idea why everyone kept asking him if he was Catholic. I don’t think he even knew it was Advent.


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: December 7, 2021, 12:28 pm

Sorry bout the song Uncle B. Can I offer that it’s better than “Last Christmas” by Wham, which is a Christmas song in the same way Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

I think your Lindt choice to be far superior to the following option

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10280785/Chanel-mocked-825-advent-calendar-includes-junk-gifts-like-magnet-pin-STICKERS.html

and can I offer listening to Carol of the Bells as an earworm killing alternative (and better song) as done by a nice choir though, not the jazzed up modern versions.

Perhaps the Ukrainian version (youtube)watch?v=gBDFMD5kLvc


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: December 7, 2021, 12:33 pm

Uncle Al!

Like like like like 👍
Every day should start with the laugh you just gave me!


Comment from peacelovewoodstock
Time: December 7, 2021, 12:39 pm

Mrs. PLW still buys advent calendars for our two boys, who are 23 and 30 now. She wasn’t raised Catholic, not sure where she got the tradition.

OTOH, I was brought up Catholic and we didn’t have them. Maybe because with seven kids it would have been too much for my mom to try to manage.


Comment from BJM
Time: December 7, 2021, 4:05 pm

@theFritz…sounds like a page out of my book of life.

I got yer ear worm cure right here.
(turn on CC setting auto generate-English)

Yes, that was a d8.


Comment from Deborah HH
Time: December 7, 2021, 7:55 pm

Was not raised celebrating Advent, and do not practice it as adults. However, my son and his family celebrate Advent in a Big Way. Make their own calendar, make prayer chains (pray specifically for someone each day), light candles, read scriptures etcetera. And when they are here, of course we participate.

Re: ear worms. I have found that the best way to rid myself of an ear worm is to sing hymns. Loudly. “Crown Him” is a sure-fire winner (for me), though I sing it a trifle faster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-4X7ZLg8C8


Comment from Surly Ermine
Time: December 7, 2021, 10:52 pm

Lutheran here and they are a must at our house. Difficult to find sometimes, we have Aldi ones this year. The art is poo but the chocolate is good. Sorry, late to the party.


Comment from Timothy J. McCorkle
Time: December 8, 2021, 2:46 am

here In Indiana,( Land of corn fields and Pig farms), Idon’t remember advent Calendars… But My sisters Kids all do them…mostly for Chocolate…. as for the ear worm… Try This…https://youtu.be/739xhwKMmVI


Comment from BJM
Time: December 8, 2021, 4:23 am

Okay so you clicked over and are now wondering what the hell was that?…some dude screaming. No not even close. Here’s an entertaining explanation of a rare voice and talent. Said dude has a 7-octave range…in his natural voice. Only a handful of singers can hit whistle notes.


Comment from BJM
Time: December 8, 2021, 5:09 am

Mariah Carey is the queen of whistle notes…probably the most talented female voice of our times…wrapped in a big ole bag of crazy.


Comment from steve
Time: December 8, 2021, 4:27 pm

I think we maybe did an Advent calendar one or two years, when I was a kid.

We more often did the Advent wreath.

A Christmas wreath lying flat on a table with 4 candles. 3 purple and one pink.


Comment from blake
Time: December 8, 2021, 11:19 pm

Was not raised religiously.

Had an Advent calendar and no real idea what it meant.

Middle daughter is Catholic so…Advent calendars once again!

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