When is Advent?
Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas — always between November 27 and December 3 — and ends on Christmas Eve. It encompasses the four Sundays immediately before Christmas, each with its own theme and Advent candle lighting. The word "Advent" comes from the Latin adventus, meaning "coming" or "arrival."
The Advent wreath and candles
The most recognizable symbol of Advent is the Advent wreath: a circular wreath of evergreen branches holding four candles (and sometimes a central white candle for Christmas Day). Each Sunday of Advent, one additional candle is lit — so by the fourth Sunday, all four are burning.
The traditional candle colors and themes vary slightly by denomination, but the most common arrangement is:
- First Sunday (purple/violet): Hope — the hope of Israel waiting for the Messiah; the hope of the church waiting for Christ's return
- Second Sunday (purple/violet): Peace — the peace promised by the prophets; the peace Christ brings
- Third Sunday (rose/pink): Joy — "Gaudete Sunday" (from the Latin for "Rejoice"); the pink candle signals the midpoint of Advent and the approaching celebration
- Fourth Sunday (purple/violet): Love — the love of God that sent his Son
- Christmas Day (white, center): Christ — the arrival of the one who is light in darkness
The circular evergreen wreath symbolizes eternity — God's eternal nature and the everlasting life he offers. The candles represent Christ as the Light of the World coming into the darkness.
The theological meaning of Advent
Advent is a season of double anticipation: it looks back to Christ's first coming (the Incarnation, celebrated at Christmas) and forward to his second coming (the return of Christ in glory). Advent holds both in tension — it is simultaneously about receiving the humble baby in Bethlehem and watching for the returning King.
This dual focus gives Advent its distinctive emotional texture: it is a season of longing — for a world set right, for justice, for the end of suffering, for the presence of God. The Advent readings from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah — filled with the longing of Israel for the promised Messiah — connect Christian worshippers to centuries of waiting that their faith has inherited.
"O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel" — the great Advent hymn — captures this spirit perfectly. Advent is not manufactured excitement; it is honest ache for what is not yet here, held in the confidence that it is truly coming.
Advent practices
At church
- Advent wreath lighting at the opening of each Sunday service, often led by a family from the congregation
- Advent-themed preaching through the prophets or the Gospel narratives leading to the nativity
- Purple/violet vestments and sanctuary decorations (replacing the ordinary green of regular Sundays)
- Advent hymns: "O Come O Come Emmanuel," "Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (saved for Christmas itself)
At home
- Home Advent wreath. Many families maintain an Advent wreath at home, lighting the appropriate candles at dinner each week and reading a brief Scripture passage together.
- Advent calendar. The secular version (with chocolates) has its origin in the liturgical practice of counting down the days to Christmas. Christian Advent calendars with Scripture readings or devotions are widely available.
- Devotional reading. Many families read through a structured Advent devotional — a daily Scripture passage and reflection for each of the 28 days of Advent. Well-known options include Ann Voskamp's The Greatest Gift and Fleming Rutledge's Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ.
- Jesse Tree. An Advent tradition particularly suitable for families with children: each day a new ornament representing a figure or event from the biblical story of redemption is added to a tree, culminating in the nativity on Christmas Eve.
Which churches observe Advent?
Advent is observed by all Catholic, Episcopal/Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist churches as a formal liturgical season. Presbyterian, Reformed, and Baptist churches vary — many mainline and moderate evangelical churches have adopted Advent practices, while some strictly non-liturgical congregations do not follow the church calendar at all. Many non-denominational churches have increasingly incorporated Advent observance as a way of anchoring Christmas in its theological context rather than letting secular culture define the season.
Frequently asked questions
Is Advent the same as the Christmas season?
No — Advent and Christmas are distinct seasons. In the liturgical calendar, Advent is the period of waiting before Christmas; the Christmas season (the "12 Days of Christmas") begins on Christmas Day and runs through Epiphany (January 6). In popular culture, the entire month of December is treated as "Christmas season," but in church practice, Advent is a season of preparation, not celebration — the festivity begins on Christmas Eve.
Do I have to give up something for Advent, like Lent?
Advent is not primarily a penitential season in the way Lent is, though it shares Lent's quieter, more reflective tone. Traditional Advent practice includes fasting, but it is not as formally structured as Lenten fasting. Many people use Advent for spiritual disciplines — additional prayer, Scripture reading, service to others — rather than formal abstinence.