Advent

Item #: UA1202
Price: $29.95
The medieval German town of Rothenburg, on the banks of the Tauber River, makes a charming setting for an Advent stroll. The twenty-four doors and windows of our Rothenburg Advent Calendar open to reveal toys, ornaments, and other holiday images. What fun to count down from the first of December to Christmas Eve! A dramatic photograph is handsomely printed on sturdy cardstock, with translucent material in the openings so light can shine through and brighten the images. About 14.5"x20". (Sorry, no giftwrap.)

Item #: UE4632
Price: $22.46
Under the delicate little windows of this gorgeous calendar you'll find fascinating trivia about Christmas traditions, recipes for yummy holiday cocktails, snippets of yuletide lore, and so much more! With its subtly handsome color scheme and cool vintage aesthetic, our lovely--and reusable!--Letterpress Advent Calendar (about 13"x9¼") is sure to become a treasured Christmas decoration the whole family will enjoy for years to come.

Item #: UE8712
Price: $16.50
A photograph of an actual old sheep pen in Germany is die-cut on its doors, windows, and such so that there are twenty-four openings--one for each day of Advent. Behind the little pop-out flaps are Nativity scenes. The crèche--with Mary, Joseph, the infant Jesus, the Magi, and shepherds--is in the largest images. Sheep, donkeys, rabbits, and other animals appear here and there throughout the stable. This most appropriate of Advent calendars can be hung from a ribbon, pinned to a wall or bulletin board, or taped to a window. Beautifully printed in Germany. About 20" wide and 13" high. (Sorry, no gift-wrapping.)

Item #: UC8532
Price: $29.95
The Basilica San Marco, in all its gilded Byzantine glory, is the centerpiece of Venice's most famous square. Now you can display its magnificent façade in your home, via this beautifully printed Advent calendar from Germany. It's an absolutely flat cardboard cutout--about 15"x19"--created from a stunning photograph that creates the illusion of depth you see here. You can attach it via magnets to your refrigerator door, post it on a bulletin board, or lean it against the wall above the mantel. Each of the numbered doors and windows opens to display a religious image--an iconic painting, stained glass, or sculpture. What a wonderful way for children and adults to count down the December days until Christmas. (Sorry, no giftwrapping.)

Item #: UE4062
Price: $24.90
An innovative and enchanting advent activity, our Countdown to Christmas Matchbox Advent Calendar is made up of twenty-four numbered ornament boxes to fill with small holiday treasures and hang on the Christmas tree. Children (or loved ones of any age!) open one matchbox a day to reveal the tiny gift inside--candy, toys, jewelry-any little present or keepsake. The 1½"x2"x3" red, green, and yellow boxes are nice and sturdy, so the set can be reused year after year. What an exciting new Christmas tradition!

Item #: UD5312
Price: $29.95
Windows and doorways on the Grand Canal are numbered one to twenty-four, for the December days of Advent. Each opening reveals a little bit of Venice--a sculpture, a Carnival mask, an artifact of one sort or another. Folded in five panels so it can stand on table or shelf, this handsomely printed reproduction of a wide-angle photograph makes a lovely remembrance of Venice and a thoughtful pre-Christmas gift! About 9" high and 29" long. (Sorry, no gift-wrapping.)

Item #: UE5552
Price: $15.95
This very special tri-fold Advent calendar shares the classic Christmas tale of The Nutcracker in twenty-four prettily illustrated miniature board books. Every day, as kids eagerly count down to Christmas, they are treated to a new installment of the tale of a young girl's magical holiday. From Herr Drosselmeyer's amazing magic show to the duel with the Mouse King to the arrival of the Sugar Plum Fairy--all the enchanting details unfold in lovely little books numbered one to twenty-four. Plus, each brightly colored book has a gold thread looped through it, so once it's been read it becomes a beautiful Christmas tree ornament. We're also offering The Story of Christmas Story Book Advent Calendar (not pictured), in which the twenty-four miniature books recount the Nativity tale, while supplies last.

Item #: UC8312
Price: $15.95
This very special tri-fold Advent calendar shares the classic Christmas tale of The Nutcracker in twenty-four prettily illustrated miniature board books. Every day, as kids eagerly count down to Christmas, they are treated to a new installment of the tale of a young girl's magical holiday. From Herr Drosselmeyer's amazing magic show to the duel with the Mouse King to the arrival of the Sugar Plum Fairy--all the enchanting details unfold in lovely little books numbered one to twenty-four. Plus, each brightly colored book has a gold thread looped through it, so once it's been read it becomes a beautiful Christmas tree ornament. We're also offering The Story of Christmas Story Book Advent Calendar (not pictured), in which the twenty-four miniature books recount the Nativity tale, while supplies last.

Item #: UA1032
Price: $29.95
In addition to its elaborate onion domes, the Resurrection Church in St. Petersburg, modeled after St. Basil's in Moscow, offers more than enough doors and windows for the twenty-four days of Advent. Illustrations of Russian Orthodox icons appear with each day's opening. About 20" high. (Sorry, no gift-wrapping.)

Item #: UE4032
Price: $7.90
Through daily scriptures, prayers, carols, prompts for introspection, and creative activities, The Christmas Countdown encourages families to "prepare [their] hearts and homes" for the commemoration of Christ's birth. Making an Advent wreath, designing Christmas cards, baking gingerbread cookies, donating gifts to charity, drinking wassail punch, writing a family newsletter, and the many other wholesome projects presented here are sure to become joyful new yearly traditions. What a lovely way to help families focus on the true meaning of Christmas!