Advent calendar with 24 polished gemstones. The names and descriptions of the stones are on the flap of the box.

Every day a beautiful rough gemstone, the 24 days leading up to Christmas will provide a lovely collection of 24 gemstones, each individually labeled with their name. An advent calendar is a calendar that is part of a Christian tradition that dates back to the 19th century. The calendar contains various little doors; each day one door may be opened. Usually, there is some chocolate or another treat for children to be found in the compartments. There are also calendars that are more geared towards adults; often the boxes are filled with quotes or photos. The calendar makes it enjoyable to count down the days until Christmas. The calendars are produced in many different shapes and sizes. All calendars have in common that they count down the remaining days until Christmas, usually 24 of them. In that sense, the advent calendar serves the same purpose as the advent wreath. Often, the countdown begins on December 1st, but it can also be other dates between November 27th and December 3rd. There are always at least 4 Sundays in the Advent season. Advent is the term in Christianity for the period before Christmas. The name Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means coming. During the Advent season, Christians prepare for Christmas, and the birth and second coming of Jesus are commemorated. Advent originally comes from the German-Lutheran tradition, which explains why you can still find many different Advent calendars in Germany and Austria. In recent years, the Advent calendar has spread to a large number of Christian countries, but increasingly also to some non-Christian countries.