With the advent calendar, we took up an old German custom from the 19th century, which after becoming popular has become a creative and exciting countdown to Christmas for many families, especially when there are children. We begin by opening little windows on December 1st and end on Christmas Eve, December 24th.
Christmas is the date set aside for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Today, just as the Three Kings of the Orient brought gifts to Jesus, on the night of 24th December Father Christmas, and on the night of 5th and 6th January the Three Kings, bring gifts to every home to commemorate the birth of the Baby Jesus.
So don't forget to leave milk and biscuits for the Three Kings, or they will leave you some coal!
Once upon a time...
In one small town there was only one shop that sold Christmas trees. There you could find Christmas trees of all sizes, shapes and colours.
The owner of the shop had organised a competition to award the most beautiful and best decorated tree of the year and the best thing was that it was St. Nicholas himself who was going to give out the prize on Christmas Day. All the children in the city wanted to be awarded by Santa and they went to the shop to buy their tree to decorate it and be able to compete.
For their part, the little trees were very excited when they saw the children and decided to be the chosen one, shouting: "Look at me!
To me, I am big!... No, not me who is fat!... or me who is made of chocolate!... or me who can talk! You could hear it all over the shop. As the days went by, the shop was running out of trees and all you could hear was the voice of a little tree saying: To me, to me... I am the smallest one.
Almost on Christmas Eve, a very elegant couple arrived at the shop to buy a tree.
The shop owner informed them that the only Christmas tree he had left was a very small one. Regardless of the size, the couple decided to take it with them.
The small tree was very happy because finally someone could decorate it for Christmas and could participate in the competition.
When they arrived at the house where the couple lived, the tree was surprised: How could I, being so small, look so beautiful and majestic?
Once the couple entered the house, they began to call the daughter: Mary! Come... Daughter!... we have a surprise for you. The little tree heard some rapid footsteps coming from upstairs.
Her little heart began to beat strongly. He was happy to be able to make a beautiful little girl happy.
As the little tree came down, he was impressed by the girl's reaction: - This is my tree! I wanted a big, leafy, huge tree up to the sky to decorate it with thousands of lights and spheres. How am I going to win the competition with this little dwarf tree? said the girl, crying.
- Mary, it was the only tree left in the shop, her father explained.
- I don't want it!...it's horrible... I don't want it!, shouted the girl furiously.
The parents, disappointed, took the little tree and brought it back to the shop.
The tree was sad because the girl did not want it but she hoped that someone would come and decorate it in time for Christmas. A few hours later, it was heard that they opened the door of the shop.
To me... to me... who is the smallest. The little tree shouted full of happiness. It was a sturdy couple, with big red cheeks and huge hands. The man in the shop informed them that the only tree he had left was the little one in the window. The couple took the tree and, without paying attention to its size, left with it.
When they got home, the tree saw two children coming out to meet it and shouting: "Did you find it, Daddy? Is that how we asked you, Mummy? When the parents got out of the car, the children went over to the little tree.
And what happened next? .........
SANTA RACE !
SNOWMAN RACE !