The Meaning of the Advent Calendar and It's Purpose Explained

The Advent calendar is an ever-present part of the Christmas season. Rooted in a tradition that spans centuries of church history, the modern version of the Advent calendar has existed since the nineteenth century. Emerging from a Protestant Christian context, Advent calendars carry an underlying spiritual message of anticipation and hope. By helping us remember and reflect on the coming of Jesus Christ, Advent calendars can be a valuable aid for Christian families.  

Table of Contents

• What is Advent?
• The History of the Advent Calendar
• Advent Calendar Meaning
• How to Use an Advent Calendar with Your Family
• Types of Advent Calendars

What is Advent?

From the Latin word adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming,” Advent is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Along with Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, the season of Advent is a part of the liturgical year, or church calendar, which dates back over 1,500 years and is observed in many Christian traditions. Even in traditions that do not practice the church calendar, Advent is often observed as a part of the Christmas season.

Advent is intended to be a time in which we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. The season of Advent is marked by themes of self-reflection, anticipation, hope, and, ultimately, joyful celebration of the Savior’s coming. These themes carry a dual meaning, first giving shape to our remembrance of Christ’s birth, then encouraging us as we await His second coming.

Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day and ends on Christmas Eve, December 24. The exact starting date changes each year, but Advent always falls between November 27 and December 3 and lasts for about four weeks. Advent is typically 23 to 28 days long, depending on which day Christmas falls and  spans the four Sundays leading up to Sunday.

What is an Advent Calendar and How Did They Start?

Among the many traditions that have sprung up to accompany the Advent season over the years (e.g., a wreath with candles, the Jesse Tree, etc.), one of the simplest and most popular is the Advent calendar. Advent calendars, from from the German word Adventskalender, are traditionally used to count down the days of December with anticipation leading to Christmas. Instead of strictly following the four-week Advent period, which can start anywhere from November 27 to December 3, many reusable Advent calendars typically begins on December 1 and count down the 24 days until Christmas. While not always tied to the church calendar, they are a popular way to build anticipation and reflect on the meaning of Christmas.

Advent calendars now come in many forms, but the tradition began simply enough when German families in the mid-nineteenth century started counting the days until Christmas by tallying chalk marks on a door or wall. Variations of the countdown included lighting a candle or hanging a religious picture for each day leading up to Christmas Eve. Some families began making homemade Advent calendars to accompany their countdown, and by the early 1900s, a few publishing companies and newspapers had produced simple printed calendars.

The popularity of Advent calendars spread with the help of a German printer named Gerhard Lang. Having grown up with a homemade calendar, Lang began designing cardboard Advent calendars around the turn of the century and, later in the 1920s, came up with the idea of cutting out little doors that could be opened each day. Behind each door, a devotional picture or Bible verse was hidden. With this innovation, Lang is considered the father of the modern Advent calendar.

Paper rationing during World War II halted the production of Advent calendars for a time. With the resolution of the war, a few printing companies revived the tradition, and the calendars began to catch on once again. Their popularity in America was boosted by images of President Dwight Eisenhower opening an Advent calendar with his grandchildren in the 1950s. By then, many calendars began including simple gifts, such as chocolate or a small toy, behind each door. Since then, the popularity of Advent calendars has continued to grow, even crossing over into non-religious contexts.

Looking for Advent readings to celebrate this season with family and friends? Download our FREE 25 Advent Readings for Christmas to prepare your heart for the Nativity of Jesus Christ!

The Deeper Meaning and Significance of Advent Calendars

While many outside the Christian tradition enjoy their yearly countdown calendar (and its hidden treats), the meaning behind the Advent calendar remains steeped in religious themes. More than just a countdown, marking the days of Advent serves as a time of spiritual reflection and preparation. Advent is a season of waiting, calling to mind the longing and anticipation of God’s people who, for centuries, awaited the coming Messiah.

Counting down the days of Advent can help us consider what it must have been like waiting for the promised Messiah, generation after generation. It allows us to lament why we needed a savior to come in the first place—our sin—and also to remember God’s past faithfulness to us. On this side of the cross, we know that Israel’s long season of expectation culminated in the birth of Jesus Christ. Likewise, our yearly season of Advent culminates in the celebration of Christmas, but first, we walk through a season in which we prepare for the feast.

In addition to commemorating God’s faithfulness in the past, keeping Advent also helps us look ahead with hopeful anticipation. Advent puts us in the habit of watching and waiting, which is helpful because Christians still live in a state of anticipation: We are waiting for Christ’s return. By looking back at His first Advent, we prepare ourselves to live in joyful expectation of His second Advent. By keeping these themes in mind, something as simple as an Advent calendar can help ready our hearts to celebrate the gift of God’s Son.

How to Use an Advent Calendar with Your Family

There are many unique styles of Advent calendars. Some are overtly Christian, while others play to the holiday season's more secularized and generic aspects. Using a nativity-themed Advent calendar is an excellent choice for families who want to keep their focus on Christ during the Christmas season. Other calendars highlight Bible stories that tell the history of God’s people leading up to Jesus. The spiritual focus of these Advent calendars is built right into the countdown, often in the form of short written devotionals accompanying the calendar. These types of calendars are an easy way to help families start an edifying Advent tradition. 

While Christian-themed Advent calendars can be a helpful tool, many families can keep the focus on Christ while counting down with a calendar that doesn’t feature an overtly religious design. These calendars facilitate the countdown, leaving it to the parents to intentionally engage their family with an Advent-themed devotional. Whether it’s a LEGO countdown kit or a cardboard display filled with chocolate treats, the Advent calendar itself is an important lesson in building anticipation and can be a fun reason to gather the family to create a context for spiritual conversations.

Types of Advent Calendars

While their primary purpose is to help us reflect on God’s love and prepare spiritually for Christmas, Advent calendars can also be a source of joy and connection for families and individuals. As Christians, it’s okay to enjoy Advent calendars filled with fun surprises like toys, treats, or other goodies, as long as we remember the deeper reason behind them. These moments of joy can be opportunities to share God’s love with others and to celebrate the blessings He gives us, all while keeping Christ at the center of our holiday season. Here are some of our favorites:

Chocolate: $19.99, Lindt Teddy Bear Advent Calendar Assorted Chocolate - A perfect holiday gift for kids and adults alike, this Advent calendar is filled with a variety of Lindt chocolate candy to delight all ages. Savor a moment for yourself each day in December as you open this Christmas Advent calendar filled with 24 pieces of decadent holiday chocolate.

Reusable: $17.19, Melissa and Doug Countdown to Christmas Wooden Advent Calendar - The set includes 24 unique magnetic ornaments plus a shining star for Christmas day--all of which fit neatly in the attached box at the base of the tree. Kids can pick a favorite design to place on the tree each day, following the numbered outlines to fill the tree right up to Christmas.

Toy: $35.75, LEGO Advent Calendar for Kids - Surprise kids aged 5 and up with a 253-piece buildable toy packed with 24 days of characters, activities and surprises. Each day offers a new festive build or character to inspire play, plus the Advent calendar box turns into a game board for up to 5 players to expand the fun

Puzzle: $19.99, Advent Calendar Jigsaw Puzzle - Package includes 24 small boxes, each box holding 42 pcs jigsaw puzzle pieces. From Dec. 1 to Dec. 24, each day a part of the puzzle will be revealed to complete an image of a Christmas Village.

Pet: $22.78, SmartBones Holiday Advent Calendar 24 Count -  24 holiday dog chews for your fur baby! Includes 8 sweet potato mini bones, 8 mini candy canes and 8 mini chicken-wrapped sticks.

Devotional: $7.59, Unwrapping the Names of Jesus: An Advent Devotional - Begins with an interactive family devotional that equips readers to celebrate Advent together with daily reflections for each week's name of Jesus and suggestions for fun-filled family activities. 

Sample Devotional for an Advent Calendar Day

Similar to the days when early Advent calendars revealed a Bible verse or religious image of some sort, many calendars today are designed with a devotional intent. Each day may include a short Bible passage related to the coming of Christ that can be used for personal reflection or family discipleship. Here’s an example of a brief family devotional that might accompany one of the days of Advent in your home:

Genesis 3:15: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Devotional Thought: Although His perfect creation had just been corrupted by the arrival of sin, God promised that sin, and Satan would not have the final victory. The Rescuer would come to crush Satan, ending his rebellion against God. His people may have been under the curse of sin, but God promised He would fight for them and win them back to Himself.

Questions for Review & Reflection:

• “Enmity” means that two things are against each other. What set God and Satan against each other? (Satan turned against God and then tempted man to do the same.)
• Who does this verse say will defeat Satan in the end? (The offspring of woman; this points to Jesus.)
• How does it make you feel knowing that God has already written the end of the story? (It gives us confidence that God is in control.)
• Christ is our great Victor, defeating an enemy that we never could. Knowing that He intercedes on our behalf, meditate on what this means to you.

[This family devotional is adapted from The Expected One: Anticipating All of Jesus in the Advent

Scott James serves as an Elder at The Church at Brook Hills. He and his wife, Jaime, have four children and live in Birmingham, AL, where he works as a pediatric physician. He is the author of two family worship books (The Expected One: Anticipating All of Jesus in the Advent and Mission Accomplished: A Two-Week Family Easter Devotional) as well as the illustrated children's book The Littlest Watchman.

Also by Scott James on Crosswalk: Why Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh Were Given to Baby Jesus

This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son, Jesus Christ!

What is Christmas? Understanding History, Origin, and Traditions
Christmas Eve History and Traditions
What is Advent: Definition & Meaning Behind Christmas Tradition
Advent Wreath & Candles - Understanding the History, Meaning, and Tradition
Christmas Bible Verses & Scripture Story

Photo credits in order of appearance: ©Getty Imagesw/Elva Etienne, ©Unsplash/MariaBrauer, ©Pexels/TorstenDettlaff, ©Pixabay/CongerDesign, ©Unsplash/MadaraParma