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What Is Advent? Meaning, Dates and Traditions

· 9 min read

Advent is the season of about four weeks before Christmas when Christians prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth and look ahead to his promised return. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and marks the start of the church year in many traditions. Below you’ll find what the word means, when Advent begins, what each week focuses on, which Bible passages are read, and simple ways to keep the season yourself.

What does Advent mean?

The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, which simply means “coming” or “arrival.” The season looks in two directions at once: back to the first coming of Jesus, born in Bethlehem, and forward to his second coming at the end of the age. Christians use these weeks to remember the long wait of God’s people for the Messiah and to renew their own hope for what God has still promised.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6–7 · BSB

Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come. It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping.

Mark 13:33–36 · BSB

Isaiah 9:6-7 is one of the best-loved Advent passages. It promises a child who will bear the weight of leadership for God’s people and whose reign of peace and fairness will keep growing without limit. Christians read it as a promise fulfilled in Jesus, and also as a picture of the complete peace his return will bring.

Jesus himself, in Mark 13:33-36, compares his followers to servants left in charge of a household, who must stay ready because they cannot know when their master will walk back through the door. That is why Advent is not only sweet nostalgia about a baby in a manger. It is also a call to live watchfully, faithfully and with hope, ready to meet Christ.

When does Advent start?

In Western churches — Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and many others — Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. That Sunday always falls between November 27 and December 3, so the season lasts anywhere from just over three weeks to four full weeks, ending on Christmas Eve.

In 2026, Advent begins on Sunday, November 29. In 2027, it begins on Sunday, November 28. If you ever need to work it out, find the Sunday closest to November 30; that is the First Sunday of Advent.

Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians keep a longer season called the Nativity Fast, which lasts forty days and begins on November 15. Churches that follow the older Julian calendar keep the same dates on their own calendar, so on the modern civil calendar their fast begins in late November and Christmas falls on January 7. The Ambrosian rite, used around Milan in Italy, also keeps a six-week Advent.

What are the four weeks of Advent?

Each Sunday of Advent has its own focus, and many families and churches mark it by lighting one more candle on an Advent wreath. A common pattern, especially in Protestant churches, gives the four weeks the themes of hope, peace, joy and love. Other churches name the candles after the prophets, Bethlehem, the shepherds and the angels. The themes vary, but the movement is the same: the light grows week by week as Christmas draws near.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near.

Philippians 4:4–5 · BSB

The third Sunday stands out. In Catholic and many Anglican and Lutheran churches it is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for “rejoice,” taken from the opening of the traditional service based on Philippians 4:4-5. In that passage Paul calls believers to steady, lasting joy and a kind, gentle spirit, reminding them that the Lord is close at hand. That is why the third candle is often rose or pink instead of purple: the waiting is not over, but joy is breaking through.

The wreath itself is a circle of evergreens, a sign of God’s unending life and faithfulness, usually holding three purple and one rose candle. Many add a white candle in the center, the Christ candle, lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The wreath as we know it is commonly traced to nineteenth-century Germany, and it has since spread to churches and homes around the world.

What Bible readings are read during Advent?

Many churches follow a lectionary, a shared schedule of Scripture readings, and the Advent readings follow a clear arc. The first Sunday usually looks to Christ’s return and the call to stay awake. The second and third Sundays introduce John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus. The fourth Sunday turns to the events just before the birth: the angel’s message to Mary or the dream given to Joseph.

A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 40:3–5 · BSB

So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”

Luke 1:30–33 · BSB

Isaiah is the voice of Advent. In Isaiah 40:3-5 someone cries out for a road to be built through the desert for God, with every obstacle leveled and every rough place smoothed, so that his glory can be seen by everyone. The Gospels apply these words to John the Baptist, whose preaching of repentance got hearts ready for Jesus.

In Luke 1:30-33 the angel Gabriel reassures Mary and tells her she will have a son, to be named Jesus, who will be great, inherit the royal line of David and rule a kingdom that has no end date. This passage gathers up the Old Testament promises and shows them coming true in a very ordinary young woman’s life. Other favorite Advent readings include Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Matthew 1:18-25 and Mary’s song of praise in Luke 1:46-55.

Is Advent in the Bible?

The word Advent and the season itself are not found in the Bible. Advent is a practice the church developed over time to help believers live through the story of Scripture. Customs of preparing for Christmas with prayer and fasting appear in parts of Western Europe by around the fifth century, and a season of Advent Sundays took shape in Rome over the following centuries.

What Advent celebrates, though, is thoroughly biblical: God’s promises through the prophets, the waiting of Israel, the birth of the Messiah and the hope of his return. Traditions differ on how they mark this. Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran Christians generally keep Advent as part of the church year, and Orthodox Christians prepare through their own Nativity Fast. Some Protestant churches observe Advent lightly or not at all, preferring to keep no special seasons. Both approaches aim to honor Christ, and many churches that once skipped Advent have taken it up in recent decades.

How do Christians keep Advent?

Advent has traditionally been a quieter, more reflective season than the Christmas rush around it. In Romans 13:11-12, Paul pictures this life as the last hour before sunrise and urges believers to shake off spiritual sleep, leave old wrongdoing behind and live as people who belong to the coming day. That captures the Advent mood: watchful, hopeful and ready to change.

And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Romans 13:11–12 · BSB

In practice, this looks different from home to home. Many people light the Advent wreath at dinner with a short reading and prayer. Others use an Advent calendar, opening a small door each day, sometimes with a Bible verse behind it. Some follow a daily Advent reading plan, sing Advent hymns like “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” or set up a nativity scene and add the figures gradually, saving the baby Jesus for Christmas Eve.

Catholics often go to confession during Advent, and some churches hold special evening services of readings and carols. Orthodox Christians keep the Nativity Fast by setting aside certain foods, along with extra prayer and almsgiving. Across traditions, generosity is a natural part of the season: giving to people in need, visiting someone who is lonely, or making peace with someone you have been distant from.

Advent can be hard for people who are grieving, lonely or struggling, since everything around them seems to insist on cheerfulness. The season actually makes room for longing and honest waiting. If the darkness of the season feels heavy, a pastor, counselor or doctor can help, and if you are ever in danger, contact emergency services right away.

How to begin Advent today

You don’t need a wreath or a church calendar to start. Choose one quiet moment each day, even five minutes, and read a short passage from the Advent story. A good place to begin is Micah 5:2, where the prophet says Israel’s ruler will come from Bethlehem, a town too small to seem important, and hints that this ruler’s story began long before his birth.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel — One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

Micah 5:2 · BSB

That promise is a fitting place to start because Advent is about God doing great things through small, overlooked places and people. After reading, sit with one question: where am I waiting for God right now? Then pray simply and honestly. Thank Jesus for coming in humility, tell him where you feel stuck or anxious, ask him to make room in your heart this season and to help you love the people around you, and end by asking him to come.

If you want to keep going, read one of the passages in this article each day: Isaiah 9, Isaiah 40, Luke 1, Philippians 4 and Romans 13 make a simple first week. By Christmas, the familiar story will likely feel new again.

Questions people ask

Why is purple the color of Advent?

Purple is a traditional color of repentance and preparation, and also of royalty, pointing to Christ the coming King. Some churches use blue instead, to set Advent apart from Lent and to suggest hope and the night sky before dawn. The rose candle on the third Sunday marks joy breaking into the waiting.

Is Advent the same as the Christmas season?

No. In the church calendar, Advent is the preparation before Christmas, and the Christmas season begins on December 25. Many churches then celebrate Christmas for twelve days, until Epiphany on January 6, which is where the “twelve days of Christmas” come from.

Is Advent a time of fasting?

Historically, Advent included fasting in many places, and Orthodox Christians still keep the Nativity Fast. In most Western churches today, fasting during Advent is encouraged rather than required. Many people mark the season instead with simpler living, extra prayer and giving to others.

What is the difference between Advent and Lent?

Both are seasons of preparation, but Advent prepares for Christmas and Lent prepares for Easter. Lent lasts about forty days and centers on repentance and Christ’s suffering. Advent is shorter and blends repentance with joyful expectation of Christ’s coming.

Written with AI help and reviewed by Miguel Ridruejo Mendoza before publishing. Bible quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain. How we write.

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