It’s a tradition that children (and adults) love in December. Throughout the month, we open the famous little boxes in Advent calendars, revealing a chocolate treat, a beauty product or some other surprise.
Open a cupboard in December and you’re sure to come across a beautiful cardboard object with 24, or even 25, squares spread out in no particular order. Each day, the search begins to find out what the gift will be. And there’s something for everyone! Chocolate, tea, sweets, make-up, wine, perfumes, decorative items, delicatessen products, cheese and even personalised items… Young and old are sure to be delighted.
But who knows that this ritual that keeps us waiting until the end of the year celebrations goes back a very long way?
Religious origins
We have to go back centuries to understand this custom, which is closely linked to religion. In the 6th century, Christians were preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ. The word ‘Advent’ comes from the Latin adventus, meaning ‘arrival’. Advent, which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, was then a period of fasting, like a second Lent. It was Pope Gregory I who propelled this tradition into the religious calendar.
As François Walter, the Swiss historian who co-authored the book Noël, une si longue histoire, points out, counting the days to Christmas is just as old. Children would add a little decoration to the cot each day before 25 December.
In the 19th century, children were kept waiting by being given a devotional picture for the 24 days before Christmas, with representations of Jesus, Mary, Joseph or even angels, and sometimes with short extracts from the Gospel. Gingerbread could also be given.
First sales in Germany
The Advent calendar as such was conceived in Germany. In 1908, the printer Gerhard Lang launched printed models that allowed children to cut out and paste pictures into 24 boxes drawn on cardboard.
But the first real Advent calendar, with little relief windows to open, was marketed in 1920. Although the Second World War put paid to this initial success, the calendar held up well and became popular outside Germany. Not only in Europe, but also in the United States, where printer Richard Sellmer exported his product. The calendar, which hangs on walls, shows a snow-covered village, with boxes revealing scenes of joyful life.
Intended to be eaten every day, the chocolates were added in 1958. Since the first half of the last century, calendars have been an integral part of everyday life at the end of the year, without any particular religious connotations.
A definitive entry into popular culture
Like Valentine’s Day and Christmas, the Advent calendar has been adopted by multinational companies. At a time when generosity and indulgence are the order of the day, offering this object symbolises the arrival of the festive season, so eagerly awaited by children. Thanks to unbridled marketing and massive advertising, it has become almost indispensable for parents to buy their offspring a calendar.
From start-ups specialising in products such as cheese and wine to the giants of the sweet industry and luxury brands such as Dior and Lancôme, all segments are getting in on the act, at prices that can run into the hundreds of euros. But whatever the budget, the pleasure is always there.
Read also: 7 Advent calendars as prestigious as they are original
Featured photo: © DR
