osprey_archer | Picture Book Advent Calendar LIFTOFF!

At long last December has arrived, and with it the first day of my picture book advent calendar! Before work I had a cup of tea and a cranberry sauce-almond muffin and Tasha Tudor's Corgiville Christmas, which I realized that I've actually read before, probably around when it came out in 2002, because at the time I was quite disappointed by the sketchy style: the pictures look like rough drafts, not as polished and detailed as in Tudor's other books, like my beloved Corgiville Fair.

I do still find the sketchiness a trifle disappointing, to be honest, but I did enjoy the bucolic image of the Corgiville Christmas: skating parties on the frozen pond, making cornucopias to hang on the tree, painting a new Advent calendar for the year...

The corgis start Advent properly on December 6th, so I have been appropriately chastened for my break with tradition in starting on the first. (But will cheerfully enjoy books 2 through 5 regardless.)

As the Advent books came in at the library, I wrapped them in leftover brown paper so each day's book could be a surprise. Yesterday after I decorated the Christmas tree, it occurred to me that it would look so much more festive with the Advent books heaped underneath - if only the books were wrapped in something a bit more jolly than brown paper. For a brief mad moment I considered re-wrapping them all in proper wrapping paper, but sanity prevailed and I only wrapped my cloth Christmas napkins around the top ten or so, which are after all the ones that show.

The tree DOES look extremely merry with a heap of books wrapped under it, so I'm thinking I may need to make the picture book Advent calendar an annual tradition. Perhaps going forward I will include only a smattering of Christmas books? Mostly they could any book by picture book illustrators I like. A grand way to catch up on all the Barbara Cooney and Patricia Polacco books I've missed.

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regshoe

That tree with books heaped under it sounds lovely :D What a great Advent tradition.

(Since when does Advent begin on 6th December, though?? It was 30th November this year, anyway, so I think starting on the 1st isn't too far off)

ethelmay

As I understand it, the beginning of Advent is the fourth Sunday before Christmas, so the latest it can be is if the final Sunday of Advent falls on Christmas Eve. That would make the previous Sundays of Advent Dec. 17, 10, and 3, so the latest it could begin is December 3. Probably she started on Dec. 6 because that's St. Nicholas's Day?

I used to occasionally see Advent calendars that were for that year's actual Advent, but I haven't in years. These days I also see twelve-day "Advent calendars" that are actually "Twelve days of Christmas" calendars, so that they can be given as Christmas presents. They tend to be the ones with more expensive gifts inside, not the pretty-picture or tiny-bit-of-chocolate things.

Exactly! (I wondered if it could be an Orthodox thing—they celebrate Christmas later, so maybe Advent begins later?—but looking it up it seems that no, they just have a longer Advent). St Nicholas's Day might be it.

Heh, Advent calendar Advent always begins on 1 December in my experience :D

osprey_archer

It occurs to me that Advent beginning on December 6th may be simply a Tudor family tradition, not a more general thing. In any case, ye average Advent calendar these days starts on December 1st regardless of when Advent technically formally starts, so I'm in line with general usage at least!

sholio

This sounds absolutely delightful, and the wrapped pile of books under the tree is a wonderful image!

Next year I may use proper wrapping paper and everything. We shall see!

I am definitely planning to get my gifts to other people wrapped soon, so I can heap them up aesthetically under the tree too.