The holiday season is a magical time filled with joy, celebrations, traditions, and of course, presents. As the big day approaches, the excitement builds with each passing day. To make the lead-up even more fun, advent calendars have become a popular way to count down the days until Christmas. Behind each numbered door is a small gift, chocolate, or surprise.
Traditional advent calendars contain 24 or 25 doors for the 24-25 days leading up to Christmas. But some have only 12 doors for the 12 Days of Christmas. So how does a 12 day advent calendar work? And when should you start opening the doors?
As a professional advent calendar printing manufacturer, I’ll answer those questions and more in this complete guide to 12 day advent calendars.
How does 12 day advent calendar work?
The 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar is a festive way to celebrate the days leading up to Christmas, specifically focusing on the twelve days that follow December 25, which is traditionally recognized as the Christmas season. Here’s how it works:
Concept and Structure
The 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar typically consists of a series of compartments or boxes, each representing one of the twelve days. These can be filled with small gifts, treats, or activities that correspond to each day.
When to Start Opening a 12 Day Advent Calendar
The 12 Days of Christmas is the festive Christian season that starts on December 25 (Christmas Day) and lasts until January 5.
So a 12 day advent calendar is designed to be opened starting on Christmas Day, not before. The 12th and final door would then be opened on January 5.
Here’s a quick rundown of the 12 Days of Christmas:
- December 25: Christmas Day
- December 26: St. Stephen’s Day
- December 27: St. John the Evangelist Day
- December 28: Holy Innocents Day
- December 29-31: Days with no religious association
- January 1: Feast of the Circumcision/Solemnity of Mary
- January 2: St. Basil’s Day and the New Year
- January 3: Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
- January 4: National Spaghetti Day (no religious association)
- January 5: National Whipped Cream Day (no religious association)
- January 6: Epiphany/Three Kings Day
So if you have a 12 day advent calendar, hold off on opening it until December 25. Then open doors 1-12, leading up to January 5.
Why Are Some Advent Calendars Only 12 Days?
Typically, advent calendars contain 24-25 doors because advent refers to the roughly four weeks leading up to Christmas Day.
But manufacturers have begun selling 12 day advent calendars referring to them as a “countdown to the 12 Days of Christmas.”
This can be confusing, since the 12 Days of Christmas begin ON Christmas Day, not before. So a 12 day advent calendar doesn’t technically make sense.
Some reasons why 12 day advent calendars exist:
- People assume “12 days” refers to the 12 days before Christmas rather than after. Manufacturers design calendars this way since there is demand.
- They’re a more budget-friendly option compared to a 24-25 day calendar.
- The 12 days after Christmas are less commercialized, so a 12 day advent calendar feels more focused on friends, family, faith etc.
Regardless of the reasoning behind them though, a 12 day advent calendar is designed to be opened starting December 25, not beforehand.
When Should You Open a 12 Day Advent Calendar?
Since a 12 day advent calendar correlates with the 12 Days of Christmas (Dec 25 – Jan 5), the ideal time to open it is:
December 25 – January 5
However, some people prefer to open all 12 doors in the lead-up to Christmas Day:
December 14-25
That way, the gifts can be enjoyed as part of the Christmas build-up. Just keep in mind that technically, a 12 day advent calendar is meant to be opened AFTER, not before, December 25.
No matter which option you choose, refrain from opening doors too early, even though it takes serious willpower! The payoff is that much greater when you open each door as it was intended when the calendar was designed.
Making the Most of Your 12 Day Advent Calendar
Here are some ways to get the full experience from your special advent calendar:
- Involve friends and family – Make opening doors an event by doing it together and guessing what’s behind each one
- Theme it – A 12 day advent calendar around a specific theme like chocolate or wine can make the gifts extra fun
- DIY it – Get crafty and create your own 12 day advent calendar filled with small personalized gifts
- Set reminders – Use phone alerts to remember to open each door on time
- Don’t open too early! This ensures you get the full 12 day advent calendar experience
Part of the magic is exercising patience and not ruining the surprise by peeking ahead!
History of 12 Day Advent Calendars
Advent itself ‒ meaning “coming” or “arrival” ‒ dates back to around the 4th century. German families began counting down to Christmas using chalk marks on doors or walls in the mid-1800s.
The modern paper advent calendar emerged in the early 1900s thanks to Gerhard Lang, a German printer who introduced festive calendars with doors or flaps. In the late 1950s, Cadbury chocolates placed treats inside each door.
The advent calendar tradition spread across Europe then later to the United States. Today, popular advent calendars contain small toys, beauty products, wine, cheese, and much more.
As for 12 day advent calendars specifically, these likely emerged once traditional 24-25 day advent calendars became popular gifts. Manufacturers soon offered a shortened (and likely cheaper to produce) 12 day version supposedly for counting down the final 12 days before Christmas.
But as we now know, the 12 Days of Christmas properly refers to the period after December 25, not before. So a “12 day advent calendar” is technically a misnomer.
Alas, it’s caught on as its own Christmas tradition, albeit often practiced incorrectly by opening doors too early. Just consider yourself now educated on how a 12 day advent calendar is intended to be used!
Start Your 12 Day Advent Calendar Countdown
The holiday season flies by in a flash. Make it more fun by using a special advent calendar to help build anticipation for Christmas day!
Hopefully this guide has cleared up any confusion around 12 day advent calendars and when you should open all the doors.
In short: Hold off until Dec 25 if you truly want to follow tradition. But if waiting is impossible, Dec 14-25 works too.
Most importantly, enjoy this magical time with loved ones. And may your 12 day advent calendar be filled with delightful treats and surprises!