DALLAS — Southern Methodist University students in Paula Lemmon’s Latin classes have been counting the days until Christmas, using a twist on the conventional Advent calendar. This one is ...

Countdown to Christmas with this Advent calendar depicting the manger scene. Each day, open the corresponding window to reveal a special image and Bible verse that retells part of the Nativity story.

More traditionally religious advent calendars do still exist, though, with the daily surprise consisting of a Bible verse. As Elizabeth Dias explains at TIME, the Bible verses go back to the heavy ...