advent

When I was a little girl Advent was a time of such excitement. It was a whole month of daily anticipation as I saw what little picture was behind each door Advent was a time when each week the christmas decorations were put up, as carols were played through the house and we would curl up on the sofa to listen to christmas stories. Most of all though, advent was when my dad wore a purple robe in church ( he's a vicar) and there was a purple altar cloth and when your five that is just the tops as purple is the best colour in the world!

To be honest that hasn't changed, we still play carols, we still read christmas stories and I still open an advent calender and yeah, seeing purple in church does make me just a little bit excited. Advent is full of tradition for me....

Advent is:

lighting this every day at breakfast and watching the numbers burn down.

watching this film. Seriosuly it is one of the most beautiful christmas films ever made. The soundtrack alone is incredible. reading this book. It is about a young boy and his magical advent calender. There is a chapter for every day of advent. It is perfect for any of you with children as the story is awesome.

Reading this book as well. I have clear memories of my brothers and I curled up on my mum's bed whilst she read to us. It is a beautiful book compiling all the letters Tolkeins children recieved from Father Christmas other the years. Not only does it include the letters but also pictures that Father christmas sent them. It is funny and touching and I can't recomend it enough. Below is one of the many pictures and an extract...

"Here is my latest portrait - Father Christmas packing, 1931. If you find that not many of the things you asked for have come, and not perhaps quite so many as sometimes, remember that this Christmas all over the world there are a terrible number of poor and starving people. I (and also my Green Brother) have had to do some collecting of food and clothes, and toys too, for the children whose fathers and mothers cannot give them anything, sometimes not even dinner. It has gone on being warm up here - not what you 'would call warm, but warm for the North Pole, with very little snow. The North Polar Bear has been lazy and sleepy as a result, and very slow over packing, or any job except eating -he has enjoyed sampling and tasting the food parcels this year (to see if they were fresh and good, he said). But that is not the worst. I should hardly feel it was Christmas if he didn't do something ridiculous. You will never guess what he did this time! I sent him down into one of my cellars - the cracker-hole, we call it - where I keep thousands of boxes of crackers (you would like to see them, rows upon rows, all with their lids off to show the kinds of colours) - well, I wanted twenty boxes and was busy sorting soldiers and farm things so I sent him; and he was so lazy he took Snow-boys (who aren't allowed down there) to help him. They started pulling crackers out of boxes, and he tried to box them (the boys' ears. I mean), and they dodged and he fell over, and let his candle fall right POOF! into my firework-crackers and boxes of sparklers. I could hear the noise and smell the smell in the hall; and when I rushed down I saw nothing but smoke and fizzing stars, and old Polar Bear was rolling over on the floor with sparks sizzling in his coat; he has quite a bare patch burnt on his back. The Snow-boys roared with laughter and then ran away. They said it was a splendid sight, but they won't come to my party on St Stephen's Day; they have had more than their share already. "

Sorry it's long but it's a wonderful read. Thanks for reading Loves xxxxx