A London Advent

“It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.”

I always loved advent calendars as a child.  We didn’t have the chocolate filled ones of today. I’m not even sure they existed then.  Our advent calendars were much more traditional.  They often pictured the nativity or another gentle festive scene, and they always had glitter of the old fashioned non biodegradable kind!  My brother and I took it in turns to open the little door each day.  We would be rewarded with a picture of a donkey, or a candle or a bell or maybe Father Christmas himself.  This was very much part of our Christmas countdown with the excitement mounting daily as we got closer to the big day itself.

As an adult, the season of Advent, despite the busyness it brings, is still a time of excitement and looking forward, of expectation and preparation.

Over the next 24 days of Advent, right up until Christmas Day I will be bringing London to you in 24 advent blog posts.  Each post will be just like opening the door of an advent calendar onto a Christmas scene in London.  I hope to capture some of the magic and traditions which make Christmas in London so special.

Wherever you are in the world I look forward to sharing this advent with you as together we take time to pause for a moment, breathe in the wonder and excitement, and explore some of my favourite festive places in London.