Photo: By Lassen
While I shamelessly listened to Christmas music as soon as Halloween was over, I am not yet ready to go all-in with my Holiday décor; it is still too early in my book… But to ease into it, I wanted to write about a lovely tradition which, if you’d like to adopt/keep up, might require a bit of planning: Advent candles, calendars and wreaths.
Where does it come from?
If you are not familiar with the concept, an advent calendar is a way to count the days leading up to Christmas. It usually begins on the 1st of December and marks every day until the 24th, or the four Sundays before the 25th of December. This tradition dates back to the mid-19th century, when German Protestants made marks on doors or candles in anticipation of the anniversary of Christ’s birth. The advent (which means ‘coming’ in Latin) calendar has roots in religion and many still like to use it today to remember the real meaning of Christmas. Regardless of faith, lots of people simple like having one to liven the excitement ahead of the holiday season. It is now an integral part of the celebrations.
How do you use one?
An advent calendar sets the mood while being a great decorative element whether you are a minimalist or a maximalist at heart. Every day or every week, you can light a candle (hello, hygge), or open a numbered window/door/bag to reveal a photo, poem, small gift, candy or chocolate, a portion of a story, etc. Any treats will do. It is a great DIY project if you fancy one, or you can also buy a ready-made version. Several companies are offering their own interpretation with 24 selected goodies, from beauty brands to chocolatiers and perfumers. Famous jeweler Tiffany and Co. sold all of its advent calendars for $112,000 USD (!!). The Nordics pushed the concept ‘out of the box’, and even had a televised version of the Christmas calendar; a yearly series of 24 episodes enjoyed by both children and adults.
Advent wreaths
Advent wreaths (or crowns) are also a thing in Scandinavia. They consist of festive centerpieces, usually with four candles and decorated with pine cones, branches of evergreen, baubles, ribbons, and other ornaments. The story goes that in the dark days of December, in the Middle Ages, people would use such wreaths to pray to the god of light, hoping to see the sun again as well as longer days. I personally believe the Holiday décor is not complete without an advent wreath! They are so beautiful and easy to create.
Inspiration:
Top picks
If you’d like to start or keep up this tradition, you need to plan ahead depending on which advent calendar or wreath you choose: Forage for branches, leaves, and other decorative elements, put your hands on some candles, shop for few goodies, make your calendar yourself or buy one… December is only a few days away after all! So let me save you some time by suggesting a few of my favorite options from Scandinavian brands that I love.
Sources:
- Circle candleholder, Ferm Living
- Pearl advent candleholder, Oyoy
- Season candleholder, Georg Jensen
- United “modular” ceramic advent calendar, Cooee
- Stumpastaken candleholder, Born in Sweden
- Bow marble candle holder, Ferm Living
- Nordic light candlesticks, Design House Stockholm
- Silver advent candleholder, Skultuna
- Glory electrical advent ‘candle’, Star Trading
- Kubus in burnished copper, By Lassen
- Brass bowl candleholder, Ferm Living
- Kluster gold and silver candlestick, Klong
Sources:
- Advent candle, By Lassen
- 2020 calender light in gold, Georg Jensen
- Hammershøi Christmas advent candle, Kähler
- Guirland advent candle, Bjørn Wiinblad
- Scented Advent candles, set of 4, Ferm Living
- Rhombe advent candle, Lyngby Porcelain
- Scented candle, Ferm Living
- DWL advent candle, Kähler
- White and red dinner candle, Broste Copenhagen
Sources:
- Chocolate Christmas calendar, Summerbird
- Gift bags, Ikea
- 4-pocket advent calendar, Design Letters
- Christmas circus advent calendar, Oyoy
- Santa advent calendar, Oyoy
- Eraser calendar, Kikki.K
- Rose house advent calendar, Ferm Living
- Pennant Christmas calendar, Lexington
- Licorice advent calendar, Lakrids Bülow
If you want more inspiring holiday décor ideas, check out the dedicated board in the ND image gallery.
Don’t hesitate to share your own advent wreath or candle with us in the community!
Looking for one of my recommendations at a store near you? Don’t hesitate. to ask!
Photo at the top: by Lassen