ADVENT CANDLE

So the Advent Candle (the real Advent Candle) is six days down, and it’s generating more than just smoke and a countdown.

The Intrepids light it every dinner-time, so tonight (I’m there on Thursdays) is no exception. It’s wobbling away, steadily burning down towards number 7, when, presumably it’ll get snuffed out by Dad in a pirouette of spiralling candle-smoke.

“How many times have you fallen asleep in front of the telly and let it burn through more than a day?” I asked, cheekily.

“Oh, twice, I think,” said my Mum, seriously. I smiled.

Every year.

But this time, there’s some controversy about measurement. What do you do if the wick is lower than the outside edges, and consequentially lower than the numbers? When do you blow it out? How can you tell it’s burned beyond the requisite level?

In the end, after some intense discussion about cohesion of liquid in tubes, the meniscus in thermometers, and the way to measure rounded values, we concluded that it doesn’t matter. And indeed, it really really doesn’t.

Meanwhile, my sister has a nifty way to count down to Christmas. Every window in their Advent Calendar contains a chocolate (naturally) and a small velvet figurine. Today’s was apparently, a tiny white dove. The idea is that you build up all the felt characters of the Nativity Scene until you get to Christmas Day, when you finally pop the Baby Jesus into the manger. Lovely. Only, due to a mix-up when packing it away last year, they’ve ended up with two Josephs... and no Mary.

“Not exactly theologically right,” I mused.

“... but very PC” she said, comically. One Christmas debate was enough for me today so I left it there. Probably for the best.