Kategori: Høytider, ferier og merkedager

Celebration: Festivity, party, merriment, jubilation, commemoration, observance, ceremony, gala, fest, jamboree, fiesta.
Holidays: Vacation, break, leave, time off, rest, leisure, respite, recess, getaway, trip, excursion.

Anniversaries: Commemoration, remembrance, milestone, jubilee, observance, recognition, ceremony, tribute, memorial, remembrance day.

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2025 Christmas Christmas Calendar English Jul Julekalender

Christmas Calendar Story – Day 24: The Best Gift Is Giving of Yourself

Christmas Eve morning came at last. Snow lay thick on the ground, and the world outside felt hushed, as if waiting. Inside the houses of 7B, the day began with the same sentence written on everyone’s calendar sheet: “Mission #24 – The best gift is giving of yourself.”

For the first time, there was no task to do — only one to understand.
At Emma’s breakfast table, her family lit the Advent candles and took a few minutes to talk about what they’d learned through the project. “I think helping others made the month go faster,” Emma said. Her father nodded. “Strange how giving slows the stress down, doesn’t it?”

Jonas wrote one last note and placed it under the tree: “I’m thankful for everyone who stayed patient with me this year.” Ida spent a quiet moment by the window, whispering a small prayer for her family and for peace in the world. In every home, the reflections looked different, but the feeling was the same — calm, gratitude, light.

When evening came and bells rang across the valley, each of them understood what Ms. Larsen had meant from the start: that Christmas isn’t found in wrapping paper or lights, but in the time, kindness, and care we share with others.

And as they sat down with their families — the smell of pine and roast filling the air — it didn’t matter who remembered all the missions or who had finished every one. What mattered was that something in them had changed. They had learned the oldest truth of Christmas:
The greatest gift you can give is yourself.

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2025 Jul Livssyn Religion

Juleevangeliet

«Evangeliet etter Lukas» (LUK 2:1-20).

Jesus blir født

Det skjedde i de dager at det gikk ut befaling fra keiser Augustus om at hele verden skulle innskrives i manntall. Denne første innskrivning ble holdt mens Kvirinius var landshøvding i Syria.

Og alle drog av sted for å la seg innskrive, hver til sin by.

Josef drog da fra byen Nasaret i Galilea opp til Judea, til Davids by Betlehem, siden han var av Davids hus og ætt, for å la seg innskrive sammen med Maria, sin trolovede, som ventet barn.

Og mens de var der, kom tiden da hun skulle føde, og hun fødte sin sønn, den førstefødte, svøpte ham og la ham i en krybbe. For det var ikke plass til dem i herberget.

Det var noen gjetere der i nærheten som var ute og holdt nattevakt over sauene sine. Med ett stod en Herrens engel foran dem, og Herrens herlighet lyste om dem. De ble meget forferdet.

Men engelen sa til dem: «Frykt ikke! Jeg kommer til dere med bud om en stor glede, en glede for hele folket: I dag er det født dere en frelser i Davids by; han er Kristus, Herren. Og dette skal dere ha til tegn: Dere skal finne et barn som er svøpt og ligger i en krybbe.»

Med ett var engelen omgitt av en himmelsk hærskare, som lovpriste Gud og sang: «Ære være Gud i det høyeste og fred på jorden blant mennesker som har Guds velbehag!»

Da englene hadde forlatt dem og vendt tilbake til himmelen, sa gjeterne til hverandre: «La oss gå inn til Betlehem for å se dette som har hendt, og som Herren har kunngjort oss.» Og de skyndte seg av sted og fant Maria og Josef og det lille barnet som lå i krybben.

Da de fikk se ham, fortalte de alt som var blitt sagt dem om dette barnet. Alle som hørte på, undret seg over det gjeterne fortalte. Men Maria gjemte alt dette i sitt hjerte og grunnet på det. Gjeterne drog tilbake, mens de priste og lovet Gud for det de hadde hørt og sett; alt var slik som det var blitt sagt dem.

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2025 English Jul Livssyn Religion

The Christmas Gospel

(Luke 2:1-20).

The Birth of Jesus

At that time, Augustus Caesar sent an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule. The order said that they must list their names in a register. This was the first registration[a] taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own towns to be registered.

So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee. He went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. This town was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (Mary was now pregnant.) While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby. She gave birth to her first son. There were no rooms left in the inn. So she wrapped the baby with cloths and laid him in a box where animals are fed.

Some Shepherds Hear About Jesus

That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. An angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and suddenly they became very frightened. The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, because I am bringing you some good news. It will be a joy to all the people. Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is Christ, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a feeding box.”

Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel. All the angels were praising God, saying:

“Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please God.”

Then the angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. We will see this thing the Lord told us about.”

So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph. And the shepherds saw the baby lying in a feeding box. Then they told what the angels had said about this child. Everyone was amazed when they heard what the shepherds said to them. Mary hid these things in her heart; she continued to think about them. Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything that they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.

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2025 Christmas Christmas Calendar English Jul Julekalender

Christmas Calendar Story – Day 23: Share the Joy Close to Home

December 23rd — Lille julaften — began with the sound of snow shovels and the smell of Christmas baking drifting through every house in town. The schools had closed for the holidays, but The December Project hadn’t ended. On the family fridge, Emma’s note still hung: “Mission #23 – Share the joy close to home.”

While her parents prepared dinner, Emma packed small paper bags filled with gingerbread cookies she and her brother had baked the day before. “We’ll take a few to the neighbors,” her mother said. “The ones who might not have family visiting.” So they bundled up, cheeks red from the cold, and went door to door.

At Mrs. Holte’s house, the elderly woman opened the door with a delighted gasp. “You two again!” she laughed. “You’ve kept me company all month.” Emma handed her a cookie bag and a card that said “God jul – you’re not forgotten.” The old woman’s eyes glistened, and for a moment, the whole house seemed to glow.

Across town, Jonas and his dad delivered a loaf of homemade bread to the couple next door. Ida left a candle and a note in the mailbox of a widower who lived alone. No one made a big deal out of it — they just gave quietly, naturally, the way Christmas giving should be.

That night, as lights twinkled from every window, the warmth of those small visits lingered in every home. Not one family talked about what they’d received — only about how good it had felt to give.

Kategorier
2025 Christmas Christmas Calendar English Jul Julekalender

Christmas Calendar Story – Day 22: Say Thank You for What You’ve Been Given

Tuesday’s classroom felt calm and reflective after yesterday’s reading. On the board, Ms. Larsen had written in white chalk: “Mission #22 – Say thank you for what you’ve been given.” Underneath, she’d added a small note: Write a card to Jesus, to God, or simply to express gratitude for the year that has passed.

No one rushed to start. This wasn’t an easy assignment — not because it was hard, but because it was personal. Emma began slowly: “Dear God, thank you for my family, for my friends, and for helping me see how much I have.” She smiled to herself, realizing she’d never actually written a letter like that before.

Jonas hesitated, then started: “Hey God — thanks for giving me more patience than I used to have. Still working on it, but progress counts, right?” He chuckled quietly and kept writing. Ida’s note was more solemn. She wrote about her grandmother’s recovery, about peace in her family, and ended with, “Thank you for listening, even when I forget to speak.”

When Ms. Larsen invited volunteers to share, only a few did — but the ones who did spoke softly, sincerely. “This,” Ms. Larsen said, “is what faith looks like in everyday life — gratitude, not grand gestures.”

Before leaving, the students placed their envelopes in a small basket on her desk. “You don’t have to send them anywhere,” she said. “They’ve already been received.”

That night, across the town, many homes felt a little lighter. And while the cards stayed sealed in Ms. Larsen’s classroom, the gratitude inside them had already done its work — turning reflection into quiet peace.