Weekend Reading: A Classical Advent

I’d love to say that I’ve made you all an advent calendar – but I’m afraid my powers of invention have failed me this time. The start of December is always stunningly hectic for me, with all the marking coming in at once – as anyone who’s sent me an email recently will know! – and anyway, ClassicsTober nearly finished me off! But I can point you towards some wonderful people to watch this month.

(Many of these are Twitter links. You can look at them even if you aren’t on Twitter – and no doubt you can find similar things on social media elsewhere!)

First, do check in with @DocCrom every day… he’s posting lovely stuff as a #ClassicsAdventCalendar.

#ClassicsAdventCalendar

Renewing my annual tradition of sharing some of my favourite bits of the Ancient Mediterranean, starting with the Hagia Triada sarcophagus: ca. 14th Century BC. #Minoan #Archaeology

Image: Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Link – https://t.co/LQJLmYbmSh pic.twitter.com/48OZYOAiR0
— Dr Crom (@DocCrom) December 1, 2022

Then there’s the brilliant Natalie Haynes, who this year is brightening up our timelines with a month of #AncientAnimalAdvent.

First day of #AncientAnimalAdvent! An animal from the ancient world every day ’til Christmas. This mosaic parrot is from the 2nd c BCE & the tesserae used are really small, which is why the parrot is so detailed. Beady eyes & cheeky beak all ready to ask Τις εστι καλός ο παις;🦜 pic.twitter.com/Ekxkb2mqjS
— Natalie Haynes (@officialnhaynes) December 1, 2022

You could also catch up with Helen Forte, who is running a Minimus #LatinAdventCalendar: and even better, you can print out and make your own Minimus advent calendar with a free download!

It’s December, so Minimus is opening his Advent calendar!
primo die Decembris, Minimus caseum invenit. On the first of December, Minimus finds cheese. #latinadventcalendar pic.twitter.com/5yXtgiwvr8
— Helen Forte (@minimus_latin) December 1, 2022

The Working Classicists are doing a giveaway, with the hashtag #SolidaritySaturnalia, with lots of goodies I wouldn’t mind winning myself…

🎄Got an advent calendar?🎄
Well, it’s not as good as this one.

Our #SolidaritySaturnalia 12-days-of-gifts giveaway goes LIVE tomorrow!

Items will be picked at random and posted to 12 lucky Working Classicists!

RT with the hashtag above, follow us, and win some nifty gifts! pic.twitter.com/Km8EwEhw2q
— Working Classicists (@WorkClassicists) November 30, 2022

The University of Oxford Centre for Teaching and Learning is also running an ‘Advent Calendar’, with daily tips for productivity, which you can find on their website. And the Ashmolean Museum has a very pretty calendar on their website.

Finally, the fabulous Greek Myth Comix advent calendar which was a huge hit last year is still available to purchase as a download which you can make up yourself.

Personally, this year I have a chocolate Peppa Pig Advent Calendar which my parents brought over for me; growing up is not something that happens in my house!

Happy December, everybody – I hope your month turns out to be calm, trouble-free and full of twinkly lights, snuggly blankets and hot drinks!