National Advent Calendar Day – November 2, 2022, history, significance
National Advent Calendar Day is observed on the first Wednesday of November, which is November 2 this year. This festival commemorates the launch of Aldi’s popular Advent calendars and serves as a kickoff to the holiday season. Advent calendars are a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer among friends and family, as they provide an opportunity to uncover a new surprise each day as you count down to the holidays. Aldi came up with the idea for the holiday in 2020.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL ADVENT CALENDAR DAY
An Advent calendar simply counts down to the days before Christmas. Paper or wood make up the majority of Advent calendars. In the 19th and 20th centuries, German Lutherans were the first to use the calendar, which subsequently spread to other Christian denominations.
Gerhard Lang, a German immigrant, is credited with creating the first printed Advent calendar in the early 1900s. But in the 1930s, cardboard restrictions in Germany, caused by World War II, forced Lang to close his firm. During this time, it was illegal to make calendars featuring photos; instead, the Nazis created their own version of an Advent calendar, a brochure with images of swastikas and blown-up tanks.
Richard Sellmer of Stuttgart designed a calendar after the war that depicted a more conventional winter town setting. “The Little Lown” was the name of the calendar. By 1946, Sellmer had established a commercial Advent calendar business and was mass-producing calendars.
His calendars were shipped to the United States in the 1950s. The first chocolate Advent calendar was introduced in 1958, but Cadbury didn’t join the race until 1971 when it released its own version in the United Kingdom. Cadbury manufactured Advent calendars sporadically from 1972 to 1986, but they didn’t become a fixture until 1993.
After a successful holiday calendar debut, Aldi, in 2020, recognized the first Wednesday of November as National Advent Calendar Day. Popular Advent calendars from Aldi go on sale on this day, helping to kick off the Christmas season.
NATIONAL ADVENT CALENDAR DAY TIMELINE
1900s
First Printed Advent Calendar
Gerhard Lang, a German immigrant, creates the first printed Advent calendar in the early 1900s.
1950s
Advent Calendars in America
Richard Sellmer gets his mass-produced calendars shipped to the United States.
1993
Cadbury Advent Calendars
Cadbury manufactures Advent calendars as a fixture in 1993.
2020
National Advent Calendar Day
After a successful holiday calendar debut, Aldi declares the first Wednesday of November as National Advent Calendar Day.
NATIONAL ADVENT CALENDAR DAY ACTIVITIES
Buy a calendar from Aldi
You may celebrate by purchasing your favorite festive Advent calendars from Aldi. Visit the Aldi website to find out when its calendar collection will be available for purchase and to see a list of the calendars that will be available.
Create your very own calendar
With your imagination, make your own Advent calendar. Look up videos on how to make an advent calendar on YouTube and add a creative spin to your calendar.
Share your calendar on social media
Spread the word on social media. If you buy an Advent calendar or make your own, be sure to share it on social media to get your friends and family excited about the upcoming holiday season.
5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ADVENT CALENDARS
Poetry advent calendars
Originally, poetry or images would be included in advent calendars.
Advent candles
Advent candles are advent calendars that clock down to Christmas by slowing burning out.
Handmade advent calendars
The very first advent calendar was constructed by hand in 1851.
Christ’s second coming
Advent became associated with the preparation for the Second Coming during the Middle Ages.
Traditional calendar broadcasts
A calendar in the form of a radio or television broadcast is also a tradition in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL ADVENT CALENDAR DAY
The activity is nostalgic
Advent calendars remind us of how exciting it was as a kid to unlock a new door every day. We love the holiday because of the feeling of nostalgia that engaging in the activity creates.
Advent calendars elicit anticipation
Counting down the days till Christmas is a highly anticipatory activity. Surprisingly, as we count down, Advent calendars also help us feel in control of our enthusiasm. It’s a type of planned entertainment.
It gives a sense of completion
Each stage is completed by opening each small door as you progress. It’s like crossing a small check mark off a list. When we make progress, our brains reward us by releasing feel-good chemicals.
