Today’s advent calendar picture may upset those of a nervous disposition and those subject to fits of the vapours when confronted by images of lightning-struck cows. The picture – of cattle struck by lightning – is a print from 1872.

Instructions for making your advent calendar can be found here. What I forgot to mention is that, having glued the picture to your sheet of cardboard, you should use a thick black marker pen to write the appropriate number above, below, or to the side of the picture. Deploy Roman numerals, please.