Advent 2026: Dates, Candle Meanings and the Road to Christmas
Updated: 1 day ago
Advent 2026 begins on Sunday 29 November and ends as Christmas celebrations begin on the evening of Thursday 24 December. The four Advent Sundays fall on 29 November, 6 December, 13 December and 20 December.
As November draws to a close, Advent begins the Christian journey towards Christmas. Evergreen wreaths appear in churches and homes, the first candle is lit, and familiar words of expectation return in prayers and hymns.
But when does Advent start and finish? What do the different candles mean? And why does the Church’s calendar begin before the first door opens on a December Advent calendar?
This guide brings together the key Advent dates for 2026 and the meaning behind some of the season’s best-known traditions.
When is Advent in 2026?
In the Western Christian calendar, Advent begins on Sunday 29 November 2026 and continues until the Christmas celebrations begin on the evening of Thursday 24 December. Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December.
Advent also marks the beginning of a new liturgical year—the annual cycle of seasons and celebrations through which the Church tells the Christian story.
First Sunday of Advent—Advent Sunday: Sunday 29 November 2026.
Second Sunday of Advent: Sunday 6 December 2026.
Third Sunday of Advent—Gaudete Sunday: Sunday 13 December 2026.
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Sunday 20 December 2026.
Christmas Eve: Thursday 24 December 2026.
Christmas Day: Friday 25 December 2026.
The four Sundays provide the main structure of the season, with another candle traditionally lit each week.
Why doesn’t Advent always begin on 1 December?
Most commercial Advent calendars begin on 1 December because they count down the days of the month to Christmas.
The Church’s Advent follows a different pattern. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, so its starting date moves from year to year, falling between 27 November and 3 December.
In 2026, that means Advent Sunday arrives on 29 November—two days before the familiar December countdown begins.
There are always four Sundays of Advent, but the season does not always last four complete weeks. Its length depends on which day of the week Christmas falls.
What does Advent mean?
The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival”.
For Christians, it is a season of expectation and preparation. It looks towards the celebration of Jesus’s birth at Christmas while also looking forward to Christ’s promised return. This gives Advent its recurring themes of watchfulness, hope and readiness.
For more on the season’s spiritual meaning, read What Advent Means: A Christian Guide to Hope.
Those themes have a particular resonance as the year darkens. Here in Scotland, late November brings short afternoons and long evenings. A small flame in a window or on a table becomes something we notice.
The Advent wreath gives that sense of expectation a visible form: a little more light, week by week.
If you use prayer beads during the season, our guide to Anglican prayer beads offers a starting point for a quiet daily practice.
The Advent wreath: what do the candles mean?
An Advent wreath traditionally holds four candles among evergreen branches, with one candle representing each Sunday of the season.
One is lit on Advent Sunday. A second is added the following Sunday, then a third and a fourth, with the earlier candles lit again alongside each new flame.
The circle is often understood as a symbol of God’s eternity, while the evergreen foliage represents enduring life and hope.
Why are some Advent candles purple and one pink?
A familiar arrangement uses three purple candles and one rose or pink candle.
Purple is associated with preparation, prayer and penitence. The rose candle is lit on the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday, when rejoicing comes to the foreground as Christmas draws nearer. In 2026, this falls on 13 December.
Candle colours vary between churches. Some wreaths use red, blue or white candles, so an arrangement that looks different may simply reflect another local or denominational tradition.
Do the four candles have names?
Many people associate the candles with hope, peace, joy and love, although their order varies.
Other traditions connect the weeks with people in the biblical story. A Church of England pattern remembers the patriarchs, the prophets, John the Baptist and Mary.
There is no single set of candle names used by every church. The shared idea is the gradual increase of light as Christmas approaches.
The theme of peace also runs through our guide to Advent prayer for peace, which explores the connection between Christian hope, prayer and practical care for others.
What is the white candle in the middle?
Some Advent wreaths include a fifth candle, usually white, at the centre.
Often called the Christ candle, it represents Jesus, the light of the world, and is lit as part of the Christmas celebration. The four surrounding candles mark the waiting; the central candle marks the arrival.
The four Sundays of Advent in 2026
First Sunday: 29 November
Advent Sunday begins the season and the new Church year. The first candle is lit, introducing the familiar rhythm of waiting and growing light.
For anyone accustomed to beginning Advent on 1 December, this is the date to remember in 2026: Sunday 29 November.
Second Sunday: 6 December
The second candle joins the first as Advent continues.
This date is also traditionally associated with Saint Nicholas, remembered in the Church calendar on 6 December. In 2026, his usual date coincides with the Second Sunday of Advent; how saints are commemorated when their dates fall on a Sunday depends on the church’s calendar.
Explore the bishop behind the traditions in Saint Nicholas: History, Feast Day and Generosity.
Third Sunday: 13 December—Gaudete Sunday
The Third Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday, from a Latin word meaning “rejoice”.
Where a wreath includes a rose candle, this is the Sunday when it is lit. Rose vestments may also be worn in churches that follow this custom.
The change of colour gives visible expression to the joy within Advent’s waiting.
Fourth Sunday: 20 December
On the Fourth Sunday, all four Advent candles are lit.
In 2026, this falls on 20 December, leaving only a few days before Christmas Eve. The season’s expectation becomes especially immediate as the journey towards the Nativity reaches its final stretch.
Other dates to notice during Advent
The four Sundays form the season’s framework, but other dates bring their own associations.
6 December—Saint Nicholas: his traditional date falls on the Second Sunday of Advent in 2026.
8 December—the Immaculate Conception: in the Roman Catholic calendar, this solemnity concerns Mary’s own conception, understood as her preservation from original sin from its first moment. It is distinct from the Annunciation, which commemorates the announcement that she would bear Jesus.
13 December—Saint Lucy: her traditional date falls on Gaudete Sunday this year. As with Saint Nicholas, the Sunday affects how her commemoration is observed liturgically.
17–23 December—the O Antiphons: these ancient prayers mark the final approach to Christmas, calling upon Christ through a sequence of biblical titles.
For more of the saints and stories within December, see Five Forgotten Feasts of Advent.
What are the O Antiphons?
The O Antiphons are short prayers traditionally sung or said with the Magnificat at Evening Prayer from 17 to 23 December.
Each addresses Christ by a different title drawn from Scripture:
17 December: O Wisdom.
18 December: O Adonai—Lord.
19 December: O Root of Jesse.
20 December: O Key of David.
21 December: O Dayspring—or Morning Star.
22 December: O King of the Nations.
23 December: O Emmanuel.
They share a repeated appeal for Christ to come. Their imagery also lies behind the familiar Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”. Even readers unfamiliar with the name “O Antiphons” may recognise their language from its verses.
For a way to pray these final days, try our O Antiphons Rosary reflections.
When does Advent end and Christmas begin?
Advent gives way to Christmas on the evening of 24 December, when churches begin celebrating the Nativity through Christmas Eve worship.
Christmas Day itself is Friday 25 December 2026. In the Church’s calendar, this is the beginning of the Christmas celebration, with the waiting of Advent giving way to the joy of Christ’s birth.
Continue into the Christmas season with our guide to Celtic Christmas traditions: faith, light and home.
The road to Christmas
Advent gives the weeks before Christmas a recognisable shape: four Sundays, a growing circle of candlelight, and prayers that become more expectant as the feast approaches.
The dates help us find our place in the season. The traditions help explain what those days hold.
For thoughtful seasonal gifts, read Choosing a Christmas Gift with Meaning.
In 2026, that journey begins on 29 November, with the lighting of the first candle.
Further reading
Frequently asked questions about Advent 2026
When does Advent start and end in 2026?
Advent Sunday is 29 November 2026. The season continues until Christmas worship begins on the evening of 24 December. The four Advent Sundays are 29 November, 6 December, 13 December and 20 December.
How many days is Advent in 2026?
The usual date range, 29 November to 24 December 2026, covers 26 calendar dates when counted inclusively. Advent always includes four Sundays in this Western calendar, but it does not always last four full weeks. Formal liturgical observance can begin with Evening Prayer on the Saturday before Advent Sunday.
Why does Advent start on a different date each year?
Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, while Christmas Day stays on 25 December. As Christmas falls on different weekdays, Advent Sunday moves between 27 November and 3 December. A December Advent calendar usually starts on 1 December regardless.
What is the correct order for lighting Advent candles?
With three purple candles and one rose candle, light a purple candle on 29 November, add a second purple on 6 December, add the rose candle on 13 December, and add the final purple on 20 December. Relight the earlier candles each time. Other colour schemes follow local church customs.
What do the four Advent candles represent?
The four candles represent the four Sundays of Advent. Hope, peace, joy and love are common themes, but their order and names vary. Other traditions remember the patriarchs, prophets, John the Baptist and Mary. Candle names are devotional customs rather than one universal rule.
Why is the third Advent candle pink, and when is Gaudete Sunday in 2026?
The rose or pink candle marks Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, on 13 December 2026. Gaudete means “rejoice”. The lighter colour expresses joy as Christmas draws nearer; rose vestments may also be worn.
When do you light the white Christ candle?
Where a wreath includes a central white Christ candle, it is lit as part of Christmas worship, commonly on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It represents Christ, the light of the world. Some wreaths have only the four Advent candles.
Do you light Advent candles every day or only on Sundays?
Churches commonly add a candle each Sunday. At home, some families relight that week’s candles during daily prayer as well. A new candle is added weekly, rather than daily; the exact pattern is a household or parish custom.
Should an Advent calendar have 24 or 25 days?
Many commercial Advent calendars have 24 doors for 1–24 December; others include a twenty-fifth for Christmas Day. Neither format determines the length of the Church’s Advent season, which begins on 29 November in 2026.
Is Advent in the Bible?
The Bible does not prescribe a four-Sunday season called Advent. The season developed in Christian tradition, drawing on biblical themes of promise, waiting and Christ’s coming. Isaiah’s prophecies, John the Baptist’s message, and the accounts of Mary and Jesus’s birth help shape Advent worship.
Is Advent only celebrated by Catholics?
No. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and many other Christians observe Advent, with differences in worship and customs. Eastern Orthodox Christians have their own preparation for Christmas through the Nativity Fast, rather than the same four-Sunday Western pattern.
Is Advent the same as the Twelve Days of Christmas?
No. Advent prepares for Christmas and ends as its celebrations begin. The traditional Twelve Days of Christmas begin on 25 December and run through 5 January, followed by Epiphany on 6 January. They are the days after Christmas Day, rather than a countdown before it.
A nice read as we approach advent.