Favourite Thing- Advent Calendar

Ever since I was little, I've always had an Advent calendar. Always. 

Because I was late in getting my Advent calendar this year, and when I finally got around to buying one, they were on sale, I ended up a Lindt Advent calendar:

I think I love Advent calendars because it was part of my childhood...I had a great childhood and the holidays were always a special time in our home (thanks mom and dad). 

 

I have two favourite Advent calendar stories. 

1. The first year I lived on my own (no roommates), I was 3 hours from my hometown. I came home from work one day and there was a package in my mailbox. The return address was my dad's office and I recognized the handwriting as his, not his secretary's, which was odd. I opened the package, and it was an Advent calendar.

I called my dad to thank him and he told me that he had always bought me an Advent calendar and he didn't want this year to be any different. Just because I was far from home, didn't mean I was going to have to miss out on a Christmas tradition. 

I was touched that my dad thought of me, especially all the trouble he went through! His secretary was off, so he had to wrap and package the calendar, find my address and go to the post office himself. This was a big deal! The postage was more than the actual calendar...but I was so happy, everything he had to go through didn't matter to my dad. 

2. My parents had bought me my annual Advent calendar. They had also bought one for my little sister, who has no patience. She wanted chocolate, so she ripped open her calendar and ate it all. 

After awhile, my sister wanted more chocolate, so she ripped my calendar open too. She didn't open the individual windows or even the top of the box and slip the try out...no she, ripped the front off. My sister started to eat the chocolate. My mom saw her and told her to stop because it was my calendar. My sister told my mom that she was going to pretend she didn't know it was mine. My mom said 'Ok, but give me one.'

While this is a funny story, I was so mad! Not that she ate the chocolate, but that she ripped the box! I ended up taping everything back together as best I could.

Yes, I'm a 20-something that still has an Advent calendar. But I believe the holidays are about tradition. Why would anyone want to let go of this one?