Countdown to Christmas (Advent Calendar)

When my sister, brother and I were young we always looked forward to December 1st. That was the day Mom hung up the Advent calendar at the end of the hallway and we began our countdown to Christmas. We didn't just have a regular Advent calendar though, this was a special one. Mom made this one. It was the large, I would guess it was about 3' x 3'. It was all made out of felt. A large green tree with 24 small sequins took up most of the space, and below were 24 small pockets, all numbered from one to 24. Inside each of the pockets were an assortment of small ornaments. Many were handmade, a few others were store bought. When the day finally came, my sister, brother and I each took turns decorating the Advent tree. We looked forward to each morning to see what ornament would be pulled out of the little pocket and hung on the tree. Especially important was December 24th, when one of us was lucky enough to hang the gold star on top and complete the tree.

~Colleen C., Fitchburg, WI