James Shields Invites Community to Shape Advent Calendar 2025

The 2025 edition of the Drupal Advent Calendar opened with a new direction and a direct invitation from James Shields for community members to contribute their favorite recorded talks to help shape the rest of the month’s entries.

James had originally planned to feature “People of Drupal” by having initiative leads nominate individuals who had made significant contributions to their respective projects. However, after falling ill and encountering scheduling constraints, he announced that the original format could not be executed in time.

In its place, this year’s calendar will showcase videos of impactful sessions from events such as DrupalCon, DrupalCamp, and local meetups. Shields explained that this change offers a manageable way to continue the calendar tradition while still celebrating the energy and insight of the Drupal community. He emphasized that the success of the new format depends on the community’s support and encouraged anyone who has seen an inspiring recorded session to share it.

Contributors are welcome to submit just a video link or add a few paragraphs explaining why a session stood out. Shields noted that while a few excellent talks were never recorded, only recorded sessions can be included. He encourages ongoing community engagement throughout December, with the possibility of publishing new reflections as suggestions come in.

Although the original concept has been postponed, Shields hopes the “People of Drupal” format can be revived next year with earlier planning. For now, the 2025 Advent Calendar will move forward one recorded session at a time, aiming to publish a new video each day.

Find more details here.