Around the world, Christmas festivities are closely related to the Christian calendar. None is more delightful to children and adults alike than the celebration and anticipation of Christmas during the Advent season, beginning on the first Sunday of December. Avent, from the Latin term “Adventus Redemptoris,” the coming of the Savior, reminds us of the events leading to the birth of the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve a long, long time ago.

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Families celebrate Advent before Christmas by lighting a candle each Sunday and reading stories from the Bible. Many homes have Advent calendars, Christmas scenes with doors numbering from 1 through 24, each door is a different picture. Children adore counting down the days before Christmas by opening the little doors, one a day.

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The Advent Santa visits the Christkindlesmarkt, Nuremberg. Here he is inspired by the many Christmas decorations, aromas, and merriment.