Trivia Advent Calendar

[Eva Elisabeth]

Happy Advent to all! Today is Dec.1 and in Germany time to put up and open the first window of the Advent calendar. So my idea was to also "put up" a trivia Advent calendar for the forum members. Before explaining the rules please allow me a short glimpse on the history of this custom which, AFAIK, is less common outside Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia.

The first Advent calendar was invented in 1851 to help the children count down and await the time until Xmas. The kids got 24 pictures, one day by day, to put up on the wall.

In 1903, the first printed Advent calendar, entitled "ln the Land of the Christ child" was produced:
   
It consisted of two sheets of paper - one with pictures to cut one out each day, and another one to complete by sticking them in.

In 1920, calendars with windows to open came up:
   
I grew up with the chocolate version, which you will find in every German home with kids (and not only there):
   
...despite the homemade one (and it's almost more fun to create than getting one as there are so many cool ideas):
               
The Scandinavian tradition is to burn down a marked bit of a candle each day:
   
Not only kids get Advent calendars! There's e.g. the beer version for the gentleman, or the cosmetics version for his spouse. And not to forget the dear pets:
   
Newspapers and magazines, on- and offline, launch Advent calendars, e.g. this free-download-software:
http://www.chip.de/s_specials/Download-A...17484.html
Finally, many German townhalls are now decorated as an Advent calendar, e.g. the Hünfeld townhall:
   

Now back to the trivia. I will open now a window to peep through at a well-known "Lincoln story" picture or item, and I hope you'll have fun trying to guess what is "behind" the window.

(Maybe my shedule won't allow to provide a new window each day - but you are welcome to add and post your ideas, too!)

Voilà, window #1:
   
Who/what is behind this window?

[RJNorton]

Eva, what a great idea!!

Robert T. Lincoln?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Wow, Roger, you were incredibly fast! And Robert is correct!!! Kudos!!
   

[Eva Elisabeth]

PS: My personal delight is to count down till Dec.21, the darkest day of the year - afterwards daylight time will increase again!! Yeah! Thanks God!!

PPS: I'm curious and eager to learn, especially about customs and traditions (so interesting!) - did you grow up with an Advent calendar, or made one for your kids or dear ones? What kind of? Please share! Thanks!

[STS Lincolnite]

(12-01-2014 06:27 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  PS: My personal delight is to count down till Dec.21, the darkest day of the year - afterwards daylight time will increase again!! Yeah! Thanks God!!

PPS: I'm curious and eager to learn, especially about customs and traditions (so interesting!) - did you grow up with an Advent calendar, or made one for your kids or dear ones? What kind of? Please share! Thanks!

Eva, I am right with you on the countdown to the increase in daylight time on the 21st! I am already far past tired of going to work in the dark and getting home in the dark!

As far as the advent calendar, we had them when I was a child. I especially remember one very fondly. Each night after our evening meal we would gather around the Christmas tree and turn on the lights (always a joy to a child). Then just before bed time, we would get out the advent calander. Each window that was opened revealed a small piece of chocolate. With two brothers beside myself, we either had to rotate who got the chocolate or try to share. There was such anticipation! Even as I write this, I a have a big smile on my face thinking about the multicolored lights cascading over me and my brothers lying on the floor in front of the Christmas tree. Colorfully wrapped presents surrounding the tree and us eating the chocolate and trying to guess what was in each package. Nothing like childhood Christmas memories!!

This is a great and fun idea for a Holiday trivia post! I am looking forward to more.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thank you so much, Scott, for sharing these wonderful memories!!! Re: "Even as I write this, I a have a big smile on my face..." - reading this made me smile the same way! So touching you had to share with your brothers - and sure an ivaluable socializing experience! I'm so glad you like this trivia idea!

[L Verge]

Love this Trivia topic. I had advent calendars as a child and passed the custom down with my daughter and my grandson. My calendars did not have chocolate treats, just great pictures. In our church, we had the advent wreath with a new candle (three purple and one pink) being lit for each Sunday in Advent.

I have mentioned being organist at church. Our wreath hung from the arch over the chancel, and the acolyte had to reach quite high to light the candles. One Sunday, he happened to glance to the rear of the church as he heard the doors open, and the taper lit the wreath instead of the candle! I kept on playing a prelude while a member of the volunteer fire department found a step ladder and put out the flames. Several holes in the carpet were the only damage!

I envied Scott his story of having his tree up during advent. I was raised with Victorians who insisted that the tree could not be decorated until Christmas Eve. I had cousins who did not decorate the tree until after their children had gone to sleep on Christmas Eve so that they could say Santa did it.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks for sharing, Laurie!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Good morning and welcome to peep through window #2:

  W2.jpg (Size: 6.54 KB / Downloads: 157)
What "hides" behind this window?

[RJNorton]

George Atzerodt?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Hi Roger, that's a cool guess! I'm sorry, it's not George Atzerodt!

PS: Strangely this time the picture only pops up when you are logged on, I don't know why that is, I uploaded it the same way as the others. However, when you log on it will be visible.

[RJNorton]

Eva, I have no clue, but to show how my mind worked...the photo you posted (for some reason) reminded me of the USS Saugus and the background of the Gardner photo of Atzerodt.

[Eva Elisabeth]

It was a great guess, Roger (and you may keep the basic idea regarding the setting in mind for a later window...)!

Here's another "peep":

  w2.2.jpg (Size: 5.6 KB / Downloads: 157)

[STS Lincolnite]

One of the columns from the Lincoln Memorial?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks for another fantastic guess, Scott! Again I'm sorry to say it is not correct.

Before offering a different glimpse, I'll give this hint: it's so to speak a replica of a (quite famous) item related to the Lincolns.