First Advent Sunday

This year for the first time I have a wonderful and special Advent calendar. The year is special because, for the first time ever, I will be alone for Christmas. This makes the calendar even more special, because it marks the beginning of a new phase of my life.

Up to now I have been in a rut and could not get over being alone and so I had no motivation to overcome my physical limitations and do something about the terrible state of the house.

Somehow seeing the Advent calendar on the door now is giving me a kick to get more done. But to the calendar:

THE SECRET OF CHRISTMAS

AN ADVENT AND CHRIST FEAST CALENDAR

A PLAN BY WILHELM THOMAS

DRAWN BY PAULA JORDAN

I will translate the story and write up that goes with the calendar.

Dear Advent calendar friends, in the old days people placed beautiful paintings or carvings where the eye always travelled, behind the altar and these depicted the story of the birth, the suffering and resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus – often in gold and bright colours. One could close these altar shrines, as one would close the doors of a cupboard, so only a little of the wonderful pictures where seen and one would open them for high days and holidays so the whole glory of the figures could be seen.

So this is such a picture altar, destined for the Christmas time or rather for Advent, Christmas, New Year and Epiphany.

It has so many doors, as many as there are days from the 1^st of December to the 6^th of January aswell as four doors for the advent Sundays.

You probably had several advent calendars accompany you through the days to Christmas. This one would like to show you the story to Christmas and all the way to the three kings’ admiration. There was a time when Germany was ruled by men, who didn’t want to know about the birth of Christ and tried to rip the holy stories from our hearts. In those days Pastor Wilhelm Thomas wrote a letter to his wife in Leibzig, who had already drawn many bible stories, Paula Jordan:

“He wished for an advent calendar from her artist’s hand, which looked like an old carved altar, to tell the whole story day by day so that the story could never leave our hearts” And the artist sat down ands drew and painted such an especially beautiful advent calendar.

If you use this Avent Calendar for the first time, you can get some explanations.

If the first Advent Sunday fall on a Noevmber day, the calendar should be hung up on this day, the first candle on the advent wreath should be lit, “Macht hoch die Tuer” should be sung and the first door should be carefully opened:

Jesus moves into Jerusalem on a donkey, the children were jubilant around him, palm leaves waving. Jesus will come into the advent time.

Still all doors are closed and between the closed doors we only see 8 men: at the bottom with blue coats, the 4 great prophets, who predicted the coming of Jesus, each with a prophet roll in hand; above – as if on their shoulders – the 4 Evengelists, who have told the Christmas story and the life of Jesus.

Watch out for more every day ….

And then life kept me busy … so now I want to try and catch up

Then come the first of December, you can daily open a date window – only on the Sundays before Christmas a further Advent Sunday window in the top row.

On the Second Advent Sunday we see Christ, the world judge, sitting on a rainbow and with the world globe in his hand.

The Third Advent Sunday the predecessor, St John the Baptist, at the Jordan and the 4^th Advent Sunday picture is an especially fine one which shows the Family Tree of Jesus. On the floor are Isai, also called Jesse, and from his heart grows a rose stem with three roses: his son King David with his harp, his great granddaughter, the Virgin Mary and finally the Christ child “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:”

1 December from the barrel of incense the incense rise Luke 1,9

2 December the priest Zacharias is approached by the Archangel Gabriel, who announces the the birth of his son the trailblazer. Luke 1, 11-17

3 December God sends his holy spirit, so the Christ child will be born on earth Luke 1, 35

4 December this day the twigs with flower buds are cut and put into water so they flower for Christmas. They are called Barbara twigs after the Holy St Barbara

5 December The Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will bear a son, which she is to name Jesus Luke 1, 31

6 December Bishop Nikolaus bring apple and nuts for the children – once during a hunger period by ship he brought food for salvation

7 December on old pictures the pure white lily is often shown between the announcing angel and Mary

8 December Mary – thinking about what has been announced to her – walking across the mountains Luke 1, 39

9 December The rose bud from the root of Jesse (see 4^th Advent Sunday)

10 December it is time to prepare the Christmas feast in the houses

11 December Mary visits Elisabeth, the elderly wife of Zacharias, and both talk about what the angel announced to them