Advent begins. For those who don’t know, it is the start of the New Year in the Christian Church calendar.
Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before December 25 and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24th), so this year’s Advent is about 25 days long. For silly Calendars, it starts on December 1st.
What is Advent? The season of waiting and preparing for the Festival of Christmas (i.e. Christ’s birth), and since it nicely fits at the end of most folks’ fiscal year, it’s an excellent metaphor for your preparation for the end of your Financial Year. You could spend Advent preparing for Christmas and next year (in terms of Personal Finance) as well.
To most people, the only exposure to Advent is the calendars sold in most stores, which have a box that is open each day of Advent. (We are guilty of this as well; we have a Playmobil one that will create a Pirate scene for our son (a Christmasy Pirate scene?).).
To others, you have the Advent Wreath at Church (Mrs. Caj is complaining that this graphic has purple candles, and they should be BLUE).
Start your fiscal planning for the coming year, and prepare for Christmas too (no, that doesn’t mean bankrupting yourself by spending as much as possible (if you thought that is what I meant)).
Personal Finance Advent Calendar
- Advent it Begins Again!
- Day 1: Running Shoes
- Day 2: TFSA
- Day 3: A Safety Deposit Box
- Day 4: What is in your Safety Deposit Box?
- Day 5: Your Will in a box
- Day 6: A Credit Card Bill
- Day 7: A Pointing Finger (Points)
- Day 8: A Lamb
- Day 9: Your Child's Diploma
- Day 10: A Cane
- Day 11: A Home Inventory List
- Day 12: A Bank Passbook
- Day 13 (new) A Puzzle Piece or Day 13: A Pair of Tiny Shoes (budgeting)
- Day 14: A Stock Certificate for ACME Buggy Whips
- Day 15: A Kettle (Charity)
- Day 16: A Coffin
- Day 17: A Scroll of Household Fix Ups
- Day 18: A QR Code -or- Day 18: A Wii Fit
- Day 19: A Library Card
- Day 20: A House Plan
- Day 21: A Feather
- Day 22: DVD of the Shawshank Redemption
- Day 23: A Tuning Fork
- Day 24: A Happy Face
- Day 25: Merry Christmas
They were purple at the service I attended yesterday — possibly a different tradition than Mrs. C8j?
DAvid
I think purple (violet actually) is more Catholic, whereas you see blue more often in Protestant churches (those that celebrate Advent). Blue was actually the liturgical colour for Advent in the Sarum rite (pre-Reformation England).
I went to a beautiful service last night: an Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols. And this morning I opened the first window in my Advent calendar! (I have an old-fashioned paper one.)
A blessed Advent to you and all your readers.
Let the coming year bring blessings for every believer!