Are you ready for a real advent?

In case you'd missed it - Christmas is coming. We know Christmas is coming because all the big shops have started with their Christmas decorations and all the major retailers have started with their TV Christmas advertising campaigns. And every year it seems as if Christmas starts earlier and earlier - mainly as retailers try to maximise the amount of money they can squeeze out of people as they create this picture of a perfect Christmas.

The church has time of preparation in the run up to Christmas to allow Christians to get ready and prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. This has nothing to do with turkeys and chocolates and presents though. This is the season of Advent which starts in a few weeks' time.

Most people today, probably know the word 'Advent' in connection with the word 'calendar'. An Advent Calendar usually contains 24 or 25 windows which you start opening on the 1 December, and behind each window there is a chocolate - and these calendars are available in a whole range of designs - Disney Princesses, Moshi Monsters, etc etc etc.

But this year you can buy 'The Real Advent Calendar' from The Meaningful Chocolate Company - the people behind the Real Easter Egg that's been around for a few years now.

The picture on the front is a cartoon Nativity, and behind each window there is a chocolate star, but on the back of the window is a sentence which tells a bit of the Christmas story - day by day. Here's a bit more detail.




To find out more, including details of where you can buy this Advent Calendar, visit their website by clicking here.