The word
"Advent" comes from the Latin adventus, meaning "coming" or "arrival". It is a season of waiting and preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
When it starts
Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day - the Sunday nearest to November 30 - and ends on Christmas Eve. Because the date of that Sunday moves, the season changes length every year.
| If Christmas Day is a... | Advent begins | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | December 3 | 22 days |
| Thursday | November 30 | 25 days |
| Sunday | November 27 | 28 days |
Wreaths and calendars
The Advent wreath follows the church season: four candles, one more lit on each of the four Sundays. The advent calendar follows the month instead. It almost always runs from December 1 to December 24, because a fixed start is simpler to print and easier for a child to follow. Its history is told in where the advent calendar came from.
In the Orthodox tradition
Eastern Orthodox churches do not keep Advent under that name. They observe the Nativity Fast, forty days of preparation before Christmas. For churches on the Julian calendar it runs from November 28 to January 6 on the everyday calendar, with Christmas on January 7. See why Orthodox Christmas is on January 7.
Christmas Advent Calendar
A family countdown on the TV - December 1-24, until Christmas Day, Orthodox Christmas or your own date. · Apple TV