Advent calendar puts Christ back into Christmas
Recent surveys* show that knowledge of the Christmas story is fading. Among 5- to 7-year olds, 36% don’t know whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas and 72% don’t know Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Among adults, fewer than 12% know the full nativity story and 51% say that the birth of Jesus is irrelevant to their Christmas.
By buying this year’s Real Advent Calendar you can help to reverse this trend and to raise £10,000 towards the equipping of a baby clinic in Kenya.
However, it is not just the charitable donation that makes The Real Advent Calendar unique. Behind its first giant window is a 32-page Christmas story-activity booklet, designed to be used every day in Advent.
The booklet gives more detail about the Christmas story and has seven Advent challenges. The calendar also comes with 25 Fairtrade Belgian chocolates and a line of the Christmas story behind each of the foiled windows too.
Launching this year’s calendar, TV presenter, Diane Louise Jordan, said: “Not only is the calendar educational and made from Fairtrade chocolate, but it is also a great opportunity to raise funds to help equip and support the Funzi and Bodo Trust baby clinic in Kenya.
‘The clinic is doing an amazing job by making sure people who are sick receive treatment and also offering new educational opportunities – which I hope will give children the chance of a better future.”
Commenting, Bishop Tim said: “It is important that we take every opportunity to share the Christmas story where we can. The 2014 Real Advent Calendar allows families to go on a journey – discovering the Christmas story, having fun and thinking about those less fortunate than themselves.
“It is a chance for people to read and see, for themselves, what Christmas is all about, a reminder that Christmas Starts with Christ.”
The Real Advent Calendar costs £3.99.
Churches, schools and groups can buy direct from The Meaningful Chocolate Company by visiting www.realadvent.co.uk and take advantage of a free delivery offer.
Retailers stocking the calendar include larger Tesco stores, Traidcraft, Eden, Shared Earth, CLC and details can be found at www.realadvent.co.uk
The Real Advent Calendar
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free 32-page Advent activity booklet
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a line of the Christmas story behind each window
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charitable donation to the Funzi Clinic (10p for every sale)
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25 high quality Fairtrade chocolates
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different chocolate shapes
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foiled for freshness
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recyclable box & tray
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resource pack for schools and churches
