The holiday season is upon us, and one of my family’s favorite traditions is opening an advent calendar. As many of you know, advent calendars help count down the days until Christmas. But there seems to be some debate around whether you’re supposed to start with day 1 or day 24.
So in this post, as a professional advent calendar printing manufacturer, I wanted to settle the debate once and for all and share my definitive guide on where to start an advent calendar.
Should You Start an Advent Calendar at 1 or 24?
Let’s start this guide by getting right into the debate itself:
Do you open the first window on an advent calendar on December 1st? Or do you start with December 24th as the first window?
Here are the two trains of thought:
Start with 1 Because It’s a Calendar
Many people believe that, since these are called “advent calendars,” you should use them like a regular wall calendar. Meaning, you start with December 1st (window 1) and work your way up to December 24th.
The logic is that an advent calendar helps “count up” to the days leading up to Christmas, just like you’d work through a month on any normal calendar.
Start With 24 Because It’s a Countdown
On the other hand, some argue that an advent calendar is essentially a countdown in calendar form.
So just like you’d count 24, 23, 22, and so on until you reach 1, the calendar is meant to start on day 24 (December 24th). The logic here is that you’re counting down the number of days remaining until Christmas Day.
The Correct Way: Start With December 1st (Window 1)
In my opinion, starting with window 1 (December 1st) is the proper way to use an advent calendar.
Here are 3 reasons why:
1. It’s How the First Advent Calendars Worked
I did some digging into the history of advent calendars. Back in the mid-1800s when German Protestants first created “advent calendars,” they used chalk markings to count up the days leading up to Christmas:
So the very first advent calendars were clearly meant as a way to count forward to an event (Christmas Day), not backwards as a countdown.
Which leads me to my next point…
2. The Etymology Supports “Counting Up”
As I mentioned earlier, the word “advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming.”
So advent, and advent calendars by extension, celebrate the build-up and anticipation towards Jesus‘ arrival on Christmas Day.
To me, this suggests moving sequentially up towards something, not counting down days that remain.
3. It’s Less Confusing for Kids
Lastly, if you have little kids, starting with window 1 makes a lot more sense.
Telling a 3 year old “We’re opening up window 24 first!” goes against what they know about calendars or counting down days. You’ll likely just confuse them!
Whereas using the December 1st window first matches their intuition and understanding about dates.
So in summary – although there are arguments on both sides, I firmly believe starting with December 1st for window #1 is the proper way to use an advent calendar. But I’m curious to hear what you think – be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts!
When to Start an Advent Calendar
One related question I often get around advent calendars is:
When should you actually start opening the windows?
Of course, like we just covered, you’ll begin with the December 1st window. But what time of day should that happen?
Here are a few options I’ve used with my family over the years:
- First thing in the morning – As soon as the kids get out of bed, we start opening that day’s window to kick the day off right.
- After dinner – Opening the window signals that the holiday season has begun for that day.
- Before bedtime – Building anticipation throughout the day and ending with opening the window.
I don’t think there’s any “right” choice here. Pick whatever time of day works for your family!
The only thing I’d caution is that if you have young kids, doing it right before bed might get them too riled up to wind down.
Creative Ways to Use an Advent Calendar
Beyond just opening a tiny window or box each day, consider incorporating some fun traditions or activities into your advent calendar routine.
Here are some ideas my family has used over the years to make things more festive:
- Bake a new Christmas treat together each Sunday
- Light an advent candle before opening that day’s window
- Read a short Bible passage about the Nativity story together
- Watch a Christmas movie every few nights
- Do an act of community service once a week during the Advent season
- Make an ornament together on weekends to decorate the Christmas tree
Customizing your own traditions around the advent calendar makes the countdown to Christmas even more special.
So in summary:
- Start your advent calendar with window #1 on December 1st
- Pick whatever time works to open each day’s window
- Consider adding in some bonus activities or traditions too!
I hope this guide clears up the debate around how to properly use an advent calendar. If you try any of the ideas I suggested, let me know how they work for your family! Just be sure to start with window #1 😉