The amazing thing about Advent is that it has been around for over 1500 years. It's the time running up to Christmas where Christians wait for Jesus, think about the messiah, and look forward to Jesus' return.
While the core idea of Advent has stayed the same, the practices over time have changed - so in 2026 Christians might find a range of different ways that people celebrate Advent, and is no longer just what people think of as a 'Christian Advent'.
Many Advent practices hail from Europe where it's dark and cold in winter - so lots of Advent and Christmas activities involve candlelight. One of the earliest kinds of Advent tradition was to burn down a candle a little each day until Christmas.
Different Advent Calendars
The Advent calendar is said to come from Germany in the mid 19th Century. People made chalk marks on doors for each day in December and rubbed them out as the season passed. Others put a straw into the manger of their nativity as each day went by.
Before long, Advent Calendars were being produced commercially; Gerhard Lang is credited with the earliest version. As a boy, he had been given a box with twenty-four biscuits attached to the lid. His mother let him eat one biscuit for each day of December. When he joined a printing firm in Munich, he decided to try this idea out in cardboard. With images by a famous illustrator of the time- Ernst Kepler- the Advent calendar was a great success. A new Christmas tradition was created and soon spread all over the world.
Advent - coinciding with the build-up to Christmas - has changed a lot over the years. There are a dizzying quantity of different ways to celebrate, and calendars range from the old-fashioned kind to more elaborate versions which include designer gifts. The most expensive Advent calendar was made from glass, diamonds and gold, and was priced at around AU $3 million.
Advent is a busy time of year where the family often has to make way for visitors, shopping and work obligations. Old or new traditions including Advent calendars are a wonderful way to enjoy the lead-up to Christmas together.