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New Advent Calendar Tradition Turns Christmas on its Head!

New advent calendar? How can there be a new advent calendar. The traditional Advent Calendar is a wonderful way children of all ages look forward to Christmas. What started as a “lift the flap” picture calendar to count down the days to Christmas has turned into another opportunity for kids to “get” more for Christmas. Some advent calendars have a present every day, chocolate, and there is even a Lego Advent calendar.

But do we want to teach our children that Christmas is just about receiving? Is Christmas just about ‘how many presents can I get’. Is that the message we really want to pass forward?

As a mother of three, this is exactly what our family is not wanting to do. So we decided to turn the advent calendar on its head this year, and the family is geared up for this change!

Make Your Advent Calendar About Giving Not Receiving

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With the help of my boys we have come up with a new Advent calendar. We know it is new because we had to make our own! Our advent calendar is the “Giving” Advent Calendar. Our hand-made Advent Calendar come with a calendar and a Giving Christmas Tree to remind us that Christmas is about giving not receiving.

Every day from December 1st  through to December 25th  we will be sharing our “daily gives” with our friends, families, and community. We will be checking off the days until Christmas while filling our Giving Christmas Tree with daily “giving balls” .
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This for our family is a wonderful way to remember what Christmas is all about, giving not receiving!

We hope our ideas will inspire you, your family, classrooms and schools. We challenge you to create a new culture of giving during the holiday season!

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What people are saying about 365give

“I wanted to express my gratitude for the teaching you provided today. Your message was delivered eloquently, compassionately, and without judgment. The kids were engaged, and now have knowledge with which they can change the world. We all appreciated how you took the time to help us learn to build positive mindsets and practice happiness.”
Shelley Gardner, Grade 6 Ridgeview Elementary (West Vancouver)
“Actions really do speak louder than words, which is why I believe the 365give Challenge has resonated throughout my community. Every give we do is so important to us and leaves us happier and appreciating our lives a little bit more than before.”
Mahina Niyozova (Tajikistan)
“After watching the 365give TEDx Talk, I was inspired to join and begin a daily giving program in India. Today, along with 12 other volunteer women, we provide 100 meals to local underprivileged children in Bangalore for school every day.”
Deepika Ahuja, Mom (Bangalore, India)
“My life has greater meaning now.”
Renate Jorge, @BeKindBrazil and 365give Member, Family Program (Brazil)
“I just wanted to share that 365give really helped me. I am a better person now, thank you.”
MayLee, 365give Member, Individual Program
“This 365give Challenge has really injected excitement and extra enthusiasm in each work day as I think about what we can do. It has motivated me and the students.”
Cristina Peters, School Counselor (New York City, USA)
“I have seen a huge shift in energy throughout my classroom since doing the 365give Challenge. The Challenge has empowered my students to make a positive difference in the school’s community and beyond.”
Cella Adriana, Special Needs Educator /The Holliswood School (New York City, USA)
“The 365give Challenge helps students understand their impact on others. It opens avenues for introducing and discussing global and local issues in classrooms. It is powerful to watch students of all ages think about how they can make a change in another person’s life with one small act.”
Jessica Hall, Primary Teacher, French Immersion at École Pauline Johnson (West Vancouver, Canada)