Day 8: Advent II

December 4, 2011

Repetition has gotten a bad name somewhere along the line. In today’s culture, we celebrate the new and the instantaneous. Often we view repetition as a consequence of having failed in our first attempt at something. Yet repetition is a key ingredient of art and worship. In art, we find form in a piece of [...]

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Day 7: Advent Grammar

December 3, 2011

Students often focus on learning words and discovering their origins. What might await us if we explore the four basic verbs of Advent? Let’s find out. Well, the first “verb” isn’t a verb at all, at least not in English: advenire is the Latin verb for “to arrive” (from ad + venire). In English, we [...]

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Day 6: Noël

December 2, 2011

For many of us, Noël is a word splashed in glitter across Christmas cards, banners, and ornaments. But it also means a specific type of French Christmas Carol. Let’s take a closer look. Noël comes from the Old French word for “Christmas Season” (nael) which, in turn, comes from the Latin for birth (natalis). That’s [...]

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When Does Advent Begin?

December 1, 2011

Yes, we are already on Day 5 of the Advent Calendar. Many people are just starting their Advent Calendar today, Dec. 1, and some are wondering how we got a head start. The Christian season of Advent always begins on Sunday, and there are four Sundays in Advent that precede Christmas Day. So the number [...]

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Day 5: The Moravian Star

December 1, 2011

Beauty and mathematics meet in the form of a Moravian Star. The star originated in an 1830s classroom at a Moravian boys’ school in Niesky, a region that lies at the eastern edge of today’s Germany. The stars are based on variations of a polyhedron. And while most stars displayed today have 26 points, the [...]

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Day 4: The Bethlehem Star

November 30, 2011

If you’re like me, you grew up in a city and lived your life where light pollution blots out the night sky. If you’re fortunate, you might find yourself one day living in the country where the stars at night are spectacular. I made that transition from urban to rural life a few years ago. [...]

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Day 3: Advent Hymns

November 29, 2011

We live in a culture where Christmas Carols hit the airways as soon as trick-or-treat bags are returned to the attic. Who isn’t bombarded by Frosty, Silver Bells, and an occasional What Child Is This long before anyone has thawed the Thanksgiving turkey? Yet, Christmas music is snuffed out the moment midnight chimes on Christmas Day. Try [...]

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Day 2: The Story of the Advent Calendar

November 28, 2011

You see them in gift shops and book stores. Some are in cardboard frames with pieces of chocolate behind each colorful door. Others are flannel or quilted, with little pockets holding puffy decorations. Whether rectangular, shaped like a Christmas tree, or die-cut as a gingerbread house, the Advent Calendar provides a tangible way for a [...]

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Day 1: The First Day of Advent

November 27, 2011

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, and it is traditionally marked with the lighting of the first candle of the Advent Wreath. The Advent Wreath, a tradition shared by Western Christians, both Protestant and Catholic, goes back to the Middle Ages. The wreath is made of evergreens signifying enduring life. Within it are three [...]

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Traveling in Europe

October 22, 2011

Professor Carol is in Europe with her husband Hank where they are collecting more materials on history and culture.  Paul Bass of The Homeschool Channel is traveling with them this time, adding  his film-making expertise to the project. The first few days have resulted in some great video, including performances of Bach’s music, an in-depth look at Bach’s life [...]

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