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December events in our towns encourage reading

Hello, kind readers!

When you are writing a column promoting community literacy, and you open the newspaper and see a list of coming events that do just that… well, it’s kind of like Christmas! Each event is a present to us! In case you missed them or need a reminder, read on.

r Now through Dec. 12 — Children’s Book Drive sponsored by The Express to benefit the Salvation Army and the Lock Haven Area Shoe Bank. Books will go to local children. Drop-off locations: The Express, The Bus Stops Here, Lock Haven YMCA, http://pendel.salvationarmy.org/easternpa/lockhaven or 570-748-2951.

r Now through Dec. 30 — Ross Library Book Exchange. Drop off a book with a note stating why you did or didn’t like the book, and in return, pick up a new book to read. Visit www.rosslibrary.org and check out coming events or call 570-748-3321 and ask for Lou Bernard

r Today — In conjunction with Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, Centre County Library will hold a fundraiser 9 a.m.-4 p.m., including a book sale, a bake sale, and outside vendors: LuLaRoe, Thirty One, LipSense, Magnolia & Vine, Mary Kay, Avon. Also, the Centre County Historical Museum will host guided tours and a holiday sing-along, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Writing these coming events in my calendar has reminded me of a new version of a calendar that I recently discovered — online Advent calendars.

When my children were young, they loved receiving an Advent calendar. The German Club at Lock Haven High School sold them every year as a fundraiser, so opening the perforated flaps each day in December and feasting on the chocolate pieces inside became a yearly tradition. I have continued the tradition, more off than on, through the years. Without the reminder of a member of the German Club showing up at my classroom door, I have not been as diligent in remembering to find and purchase them. Never fear, though — technology to the rescue!

Other than the fact that there is no chocolate, online Advent calendars provide many delightful options to send and receive.

The noun advent means “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event,” and the season of Advent is observed in Christian churches and homes as a time of preparation and waiting for the commemoration of the birth of Jesus. While opinions vary, the first Advent celebration is thought to date back to at least the year 567 when monks were ordered to fast during December leading to Christmas.

Types of calendars vary from country to country with the paper kind with little windows most common in the United States and United Kingdom. Chocolate was added in 1958 and today, you can find all types filled with products ranging from beauty products to alcohol to ones for your pets.

As is often the case, the more the evolution of the calendar, the further the purpose differs from what it was originally. An online version may seem to be the farthest from the original purpose, but actually, it is the opposite.

The first online Advent calendar that I experienced was at https://adventmyfriend.com/. By viewing the demo the site provides, I could begin to see the possibilities and potential of making my own calendar. When I began to create my own, I had the option of starting from scratch or having some of the dates pre-populated (filled in). Many of the calendar windows had links to YouTube videos that varied from funny to uplifting to profound. There were empty windows that I filled with personal photos or quotes. I emailed a link to the calendar to a few special people and hoped that looking at it each day was a meaningful experience.

If the purpose of Advent is preparation for the commemoration of Christ’s birth, how can this technological tool help us do that? Basically, it provides quick and easy access to whatever best helps the intended recipient to prepare. Perhaps it is a daily meditation or Bible verse, or listening to music — anything that can help to slow us down and reflect on the true meaning of the season.

There are several other websites available, and one in particular, MakeUseOf (http://www.makeuseof.com/?s=advent+calendar) provides a list of 10 different Advent calendar websites. If you visit, don’t miss National Museums Liverpool, Global Advent calendar with daily meditations, and Boowa & Kwala with kid-friendly interactive features.

Regardless of our beliefs or traditions, there are moments in our lives when we pause to celebrate, to offer thanks, to reflect on what is important. For those who observe Christmas, it is easy to be going so fast that we “miss our exit,” we do not slow down enough to look around and make sure we know where we are. Could a daily reminder in the form of an online calendar help us do that?

“Let’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush.”

The author of this quote is unknown, but these 12 words, when shared and digested, may allow us to experience this season in both new and old ways.

As always, I welcome your feedback and questions. May you daily experience an expectant hush.

——

Kathy Gephart is a retired public school educator and the founder of Stone Soup Literacy (www.stonesoupliteracy.com) whose mission is to build readers, one community at a time. Email Kathy at

stonesoupliteracy@gmail.com.

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