The bells are ringing calling people to the midnight service at St Helen’s Church. Earlier I looked in and saw all the Christingles ready for the 4 pm Christingle Service at St Helen’s.

At Trinity Church, there was also a Christingle Service at 4 pm. After carols and the telling of Jesus’ birth, children and adults made their own Christingles with the help of a large Christingle at the front.

The Christingle candles were lit, and everybody sang Away in a Manger.

The last candle on the advent crown will be lit tomorrow on Christmas Day Morning.

Wishing you a Happy Christmas!

Over one house, on the Radley Road, is a cut-out of a Santa Claus climbing up the side of the chimney. Below, is a reindeer with a sleigh filled with presents.

The workhouse estate have a Advent Window Calendar to help raise money for Helen and Douglas House. They began with ‘one’ on the Oxford Road and ‘A Cracker!’ .

Unlike South Avenue that has three or four entries for each day, the Workhouse Estate has just one a day, and day 15 in Abbot Road shows the Grinch, dressed in a Santa outfit, stealing a Christmas tree. His loyal dog Max wears antlers.

The Fitzharry’s Estate also has an Advent Window Calendar but I did not see if they are collecting for charity. On Friday 13th a house in Letcombe Avenue has a reindeer crashing through the window – half in and half out.

Today, the 23rd, a house window on Fitzharry’s Road shows the Three Wise Men from the nativity story. Guided by a shining star, they journey with gifts, believing they are traveling to greet a great King. Instead, their path leads them to a stable, where they find a new-born baby lying in a feeding trough.

South Avenue and Holland Road have been bringing joy to residents and visitors with their annual Advent Windows displays since 2017. The 2024 display looked bigger and better then ever.

This evening, the community gathered outside number 54 South Avenue to celebrate together. The organisers provided hot chocolate, mulled wine, and mince pies. A raffle was organised by The Abingdon Bridge, a local charity supporting young people in Abingdon. Donations given for the Advent Windows will also go to The Abingdon Bridge.

People gathered, drinking their mulled wine or hot chocolate, to hear carols from an Abingdon choral choir.

The stars were bright overhead and the window displays were amazing.

So many people want to take part that there are usually three or four houses displaying Advent windows each day. On December 1st, three windows were revealed. This particular display is located on Holland Road.

There’s an activity sheet and trail for children where they have to find candy canes. Here’s one of them – look, it’s in the dog’s mouth!

This window celebrates the Nativity (the birth of Jesus about 2020 years ago), and the Christian hope that God is with us.

Can you see more candy canes? At Christmas we mix the religious elements with other traditions like Father Christmas who gets stuck down the chimney and a reindeer with a red nose,

and presents, crackers  and much more besides.