Talking point

Are chocolate Advent calendars an example of the true meaning of Christmas being lost?

W Ewere taken aback recently to see a headline in a newspaper talking about “traditional chocolate Advent calendars”. So we were less surprised when one of the team went looking for the kind of Advent calendar that she used to buy her children and was met with blank looks.

You can find all kinds of Advent calendars on sale now, from the religious (if you know where to look!) to the very definitely secular, filled with toys, make-up, miniatures of alcoholic drinks and even cheese (some of us rather like the sound of that one!)

Even if you’re not a regular churchgoer, the idea of an Advent calendar that has nothing at all to do with the Nativity does seem to be veering away from “the reason for the season”.

According to the German Christmas Museum, publisher Gerhard Lang is considered the “inventor” of the printed Advent calendar.

He remembered how, when he was a child, his mother had sewn 24 sweet treats on to the lid of a box, and he had been allowed to eat one each day during Advent.

His first commercial Advent calendar was produced in 1908, so the origins of our traditional calendars can be traced back to confectionery.

The first Advent calendar containing chocolate was produced by Cadbury in 1958 – much earlier than any of us in the “Friend” office would have guessed!

In the 2,000-year history of Christmas, Advent calendars have only been around for 100 years or so. Customs change over time.

Children enjoy the anticipation leading up to the big day, and today it’s possible for families to choose a way of doing that which will best reflect their own beliefs and values.