sprite writes
broodings from the burrow

November 15, 2020


virtual advent tour 2020 signups now open
posted by soe 1:58 am

2020 Virtual Advent Tour blog button

Welcome to signups for this year’s Virtual Advent Tour. 2020 marks my sixth year as host of this annual event.

2020 has been a hard year for everyone, and the current world scenario doesn’t suggest the upcoming holidays are going to be any easier. We’re all thinking about how to celebrate differently at a time when tradition is particularly dear. But there are some annual events that can continue unabated, and this is one of them! Our celebration has been virtual since Zoom was the sound you made trying out your new sled Christmas afternoon! (Depending on when you last went sledding, of course!)

As you likely know, the typical Advent calendar is a season-marking device, often paper, but sometimes crafted of other materials, to count down from December 1st until Christmas. Each day, you open a door to unveil a hidden scene or piece of chocolate or some other delight. The Virtual Advent Tour is a bloggers’ take on that. In our version, each morning I’ll point you to a post at someone’s blog in which they share something about their holiday season.

Would you be willing to share a winter (or summer, if you’re south of the equator) holiday post or two next month? You’d know the date(s) ahead of time (and can request a specific one if you’d like) and there’s no need to tell me what you’re going to write about in advance. Your post can be as simple or as complex and in whatever format suits you — text, video, or audio are all good.

If you’re looking for inspiration, folks have shared favorite holiday music, ways they’ve adapted to being away from family, charities, recipes, religious calendar dates, books, local events, memories, traditions both old and new, and more. And if you’re worried about repeating something you’ve said in an earlier past, well, that can be part of the fun, too. While some people get a new Advent calendar each year, my family has always reused ours.

If this sounds fun and you’d like to participate, please leave me a comment on this post telling me what date(s) you’d like. I’ll update this post as people claim days.

A few housekeeping notes:

While both the tradition of the Advent calendar and the timing skew Christian, the tour is inclusive and open to anyone who celebrates December holidays of any sort. We love reading about all kinds of holiday celebrations and the traditions you’ve developed around them!

I made 2020 Virtual Advent Tour badges in 800px, 400px, and 200px that you’re welcome to download and use on your blog should that be your kind of thing.

I tend to write my posts shortly after midnight my time (Eastern U.S.) and will schedule them to go live at 6 a.m. If your post is live when I’m writing, I’ll give a little preview and link directly to it. However, if it’s not, I’ll assume you’ll get it live at some point, and will just embed a song and a link to your blog’s homepage.

As a participant, you may find you’ll get more responses to your post if you allow open comments (comments that don’t require someone to sign in to Google or Disqus, for instance) on your blog for that day. Obviously that choice is entirely up to you, but I have noticed that trend in past years.

If you use social media, I’ve used the hashtag #VirtualAdventTour on Twitter without complication for the past couple years and assume we can make it work on other platforms, too.

Thanks in advance for making this one of my fun December traditions!

1: Sprite
2: Deb Nance
3:
4:
5: kathy b
6: raidergirl3
7: Kat
8:
9: Deb Nance
10:
11:
12: kathy b
13: Jo Kay
14:
15: Constance
16: Deb Nance
17: Marg
18:
19: Blue-Footed Musings
20: Jo Kay
21:
22:
23: Deb Nance
24: Bridget

Category: christmas/holiday season. There is/are 16 Comments.



Well, of course I want to participate! It is the best part of Advent! 🙂

Comment by Kat 11.15.20 @ 1:01 pm

You Know I’m going to take a couple dates on the Calendar. It is part of my tradition with you and I would be very sad without it. !

Comment by kathy b 11.15.20 @ 1:54 pm

Count me in! Let me see if there are specific dates and I’ll go from there. YAY!!!

Comment by Bridget 11.15.20 @ 5:26 pm

Oh, I’m definitely in. I usually like Dec6th, so will request that date, and can probably do a couple more as we get into things.
We were virtual before virtual was cool. Well, maybe not cool, but our new way of life. We were cool is my point.

Comment by raidergirl3 11.15.20 @ 7:37 pm

I’m in. Pick a date for me.

Comment by Karen 11.17.20 @ 1:52 am

[…] Also, since you’re here, may I direct you to information on next month’s Virtual Advent Tour? […]

Pingback by sprite writes 11.17.20 @ 5:20 am

Oh, yes, I’m in! How about December 13th if it’s okay with you and one more date of your choice?

Comment by Jo Kay 11.21.20 @ 8:14 am

[…] and, hey, while you’re here: The Virtual Advent Tour starts a week from today. Wouldn’t you like to take […]

Pingback by sprite writes 11.24.20 @ 6:10 am

I’d love to join in for Virtual Advent. I don’t know how many you allow, but I could do something for each Wednesday in December, if those are available. debnance at gmail dot com

Comment by Deb Nance at Readerbuzz 11.24.20 @ 8:31 am

[…] if you’ve left me a comment about the Virtual Advent Tour, expect an email […]

Pingback by sprite writes 11.27.20 @ 4:11 am

Please find me a weekday in December, maybe towards the middle of the month, if available!

Thanks,

Constance

Comment by CON 11.30.20 @ 10:09 pm

[…] Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Virtual Advent Tour! I am your host, Sprite, and for the next 24 mornings (around 6 a.m. Eastern U.S. time), I’ll be directing you around the internet, where various bloggers will be sharing parts of their holiday celebrations with you. This is the 13th time we’ve held this event for the entire 24 days and my sixth year as host. I hope you enjoy this tradition as much I do. Should you want to get in on the fun, please leave me a comment on our signup post. […]

Pingback by sprite writes 12.01.20 @ 6:06 am

I am so glad that you are still doing this!!! I will sign up for December 17!

Comment by Marg 12.02.20 @ 4:47 am

[…] to join us? Sign up here. And do stop back tomorrow for another mystery Advent […]

Pingback by sprite writes 12.02.20 @ 6:01 am

[…] up to host a day of the Tour here. Otherwise, see you back here […]

Pingback by sprite writes 12.03.20 @ 6:02 am

[…] This post is part of sprite’s Virtual Advent Tour. Want to participate? Click here! […]

Pingback by virtual advent 2020: songs for these times – randomduck 12.23.20 @ 1:54 am