Are you ready to hear this? There are only 106 days left until Christmas. This is what I woke up to this AM after my girls started marking up their calendars for upcoming classes and events. They saw how their calendars were filling up and how there were only a few months next before they needed to move over to their 2019 calendars. They wondered how many days were left until Christmas. So, they counted each day before decorating Dec. 25th with a bright yellow star. I asked them why they chose this and they said this was the brightest star in the sky that night over 2000 years ago, that led the three wise men, shepherds and animals to Bethlehem to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. Now that my girls are getting order it is nice to see them understand what I am teaching them in school and life, and how they realize that with things like Christmas it is not all about getting toys, but that there is a real meaning behind why so many people celebrate this day.
We were recently sent a breathtaking and oh so unique advent calendar, which you can back right now on Kickstarter -- https://www.kickstarter.com/
This advent calendar is unlike anything I have seen before, and I was so happy that I got to see it up close, and will definitely be cherishing this for my holiday seasons to come.
So, what makes the ONE NIGHT advent so unique, and a must have for family's who celebrate the real meaning of Christmas each year? Here is more information about this advent calendar, along with pictures so you can see for yourself why my family fell in love with it as soon as we took it out of the package...and, we can't wait for December to get here to start counting down to Dec. 25th.
About this advent calendar:
Since the 1800s, people have used Advent calendars to count down to Christmas. Traditional Advent calendars were richly-crafted, beautiful keepsakes. But in recent years, Advent calendars became forgettable and dull.
ONE NIGHT is different. Inspired by a revered episode from the Book of Luke, ONE NIGHT tells the story of the first Christmas as you've never seen it before -- with beautiful illustration, lush calligraphy, and riveting narration that will transport you to first-century Bethlehem.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
ONE NIGHT tells a story in 24 parts. Each part of the story is hidden behind a numbered door (1 through 24) that you open to reveal an illustration and text. You can open one door each day, from December 1 through December 24, counting down to Christmas. Or you can binge-watch, by reading all 24 parts in one sitting, like an illustrated book.
SO THIS ADVENT CALENDAR TELLS A STORY?
Yes. The Book of Luke (2:8-20) says that on the night of the first Christmas angels visited shepherds tending their flocks and told them to visit their newborn savior. ONE NIGHT reimagines the story through the eyes of one of the shepherds.
Set against the turbulent backdrop of ancient Judea under Roman rule, ONE NIGHT follows the shepherd as he risks his flock to journey through the countryside in search of the baby Messiah -- and the elusive promises of worldly and spiritual redemption.
There is a long and diverse artistic tradition of imagining the story of the shepherds. In our telling, we have tried to capture what it would have really been like to be there the night Jesus was born, and how a regular person might have tried to make sense of that extraordinary event. The story is intense, exciting -- and even a little spooky.
Whether you know the Bible inside out, or you haven't read it since you were a kid, we hope ONE NIGHT will surprise and move you with its riveting portrayal of its characters' search for goodness and a better world.
WHO IS THIS ADVENT CALENDAR FOR?
If you celebrate Christmas, you're celebrating the advent of Jesus. (The word "advent" means "arrival.") Some churches also celebrate a season called Advent, which roughly coincides with the month leading up to Christmas.
The Advent calendar is a folk tradition used both by people who keep the formal season of Advent, and also by people who are simply counting down to the advent of Jesus, or Christmas.
So whatever your practice, an Advent calendar is a great way to get excited for the holiday. And ONE NIGHT is an awesome Advent calendar."
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My Thoughts:
My girls really wanted to "binge" read each and every day of this calendar, but I just let them read the first five, so that it will be special come the holidays, as we count down the days until Jesus' birth. We really enjoyed what we read and the illustrations were simply amazing. Like I said, I have not seen an advent calendar like this. You can tell a lot of time and dedication went into each and every detail of this advent, right down to the packaging.
This is an oversized calendar that will be front and center in our living on top of the table we decorate with our nativity scene. And, I know that when friends and family come to visit they will gravitate towards our new advent, not just because of its size, but because of the art and calligraphy. It really is like a work of art, that you want to sit and admire, and display for all to enjoy. And, what better story to tell with this amazing work of art, than the birth of Jesus, this holiday season.
You may recall I mentioned that this is a Kickstarter campaign, and that I was sent a sample of the advent calendar to view in person, before the final printing. Because so much time and effort went into making this labor of love over the past few years, now comes the expensive part of bringing this advent calendar to market you all can enjoy this holiday season and for years to come.
A Kickstarter campaign was started to help raise the funds needed to pay the printer and have these advent calendars printed and ready to send to families in November, so they can enjoy for the holidays, or surprise loved ones with their own ONE NIGHT advent to cherish.
For only $30 plus shipping, you can show pledge your support through the Kickstarter campaign which has 36 days to go (as of my writing this post on 9/9). Right now $3,381 out of a $12,000 goal is pledged. I am hoping that after you read my blog post and go back and look at the pictures I have shared, as well as the short video that shows the extraordinary work of art this advent calendar is, you will head on over to Kickstarter and pledge your support, and lock in your order, so you will be able to share this advent with your family this year, and for years to come.
I, for one, plan to pledge my support for a couple more advents, so that I can gift them to my parents and a dear friend this holiday. I know they will appreciate this advent, which does an amazing job in sharing the true meaning of Dec. 25th, through the eyes of a shepherd. You will be captivated by the story as you wake each morning, or like we do, open a flap door each evening before bed, and read the ONE STORY. It will definitely get you excited about the holidays, and be something your family will look forward to enjoying together each day leading up to December 25th.
So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to https://www.kickstarter.com/
Disclosure: I was sent a sample from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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