Advent calendars have become a beloved tradition for many families as part of their Christmas celebrations. As these special calendars have grown in popularity over the years, so too have questions around how they really work. Specifically, many folks wonder: How many days are in an advent calendar?
The short answer is that most advent calendars contain 24 or 25 compartments or doors that are opened each day in December leading up to Christmas. As a professional advent calendar printing manufacturer, I will lead you to take a closer look at the fascinating history behind advent calendars so you can better understand why advent calendars have 24-25 days and how their length may vary.
The Connection Between Advent and Advent Calendars
To understand advent calendars, it helps to first look at the Advent season itself. Advent is a religious observance in many Western Christian denominations that kicks off the liturgical year.
The word advent comes from the Latin term adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming.” Advent is a period of preparation for Christians as they get ready to celebrate the “arrival” of Jesus Christ (Christmas) and also anticipate his “second coming.”
So how long does this special season last? Well, that’s complicated. Here are the key details:
- Advent begins on the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30) and continues through the next three Sundays.
- Since the start date is variable, the total length of Advent also shifts each year – from 22 to 28 days.
- Advent always ends on December 24, Christmas Eve.
Now back to advent calendars. Although modern advent calendars don’t perfectly align with the Advent liturgical season, the two are still connected.
Many early advent calendars were made by German Lutherans and other Protestants to help families reflect on and count down the days of Advent.
The 24 Days of Christmas
The vast majority of modern advent calendars settle on 24 days for practical and cultural reasons tied to the 12 Days of Christmas.
Here’s a quick overview:
- The song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” counts down the 12 days after Christmas leading up to Epiphany on January 6.
- Extending this counting pattern backwards, the 24 days before December 25 became associated as the countdown period to the holiday itself.
- Early advent calendar makers realized 24 compartments was a convenient number for counting down in December.
Additionally, most advent calendars end on December 24 rather than extend through Christmas Day since Christmas Eve holds special meaning for many Christians.
So the 24 days neatly fit with ending on Christmas Eve while allowing a countdown from December 1, which is easy for calendar makers to reuse each year.
When 25 Days Makes Sense
Some advent calendars opt for 25 days instead, where the last door or flap is opened on December 25, Christmas Day.
There are good reasons for ending on December 25:
- It may better represent the anticipation of Jesus’ arrival on Christmas for more religious calendar owners.
- For secular calendar owners not observing a religious Advent, ending on Christmas could heighten excitement for the holiday itself.
- Extra treats! Who would complain about an additional day of goodies from one’s chocolate or cheese advent calendar?
Notable Examples of Longer Advent Calendars
The vast majority of mass-produced and homemade advent calendars settle on either 24 or 25 days as we’ve discussed. But some calendars have broken from tradition with more extended counts.
For example, in 2016, Advent was 28 days long. So that year advent calendars with 28 days would have aligned precisely with the Advent liturgical calendar!
There was also a popular advent calendar app called Christmas Story that gained some notoriety for containing a whopping 358 days worth of holiday entertainment!
While 24-25 days remains the standard, it’s fun to see advent calendar makers experimenting with new formats.
The Takeaway: Most Advent Calendars Have 24 or 25 Days
Advent calendars make the perfect count down to Christmas for both religious observers and secular Christmas celebrators!
While the exact alignment between advent calendars and the Advent liturgical season shifts annually, the vast majority of calendars settle on 24 or 25 days for convenient counting from December 1-25.
So if you spot an advent calendar with fewer than 24 compartments, it’s probably a novelty item – not a traditional advent calendar. But 24 and 25 day advent calendars nicely build Christmas anticipation and deliver joy with each treat uncovered day by day!