First Sunday of Advent 2026

What this countdown tracks

The First Sunday of Advent 2026 — the start of the Western Christian liturgical year and the four-week preparation for Christmas — falling on Sunday, November 29, 2026. Marks the lighting of the first Advent wreath candle and the beginning of the season of expectation.

About this festival

Advent (from the Latin adventus, "coming") is the four-week season preceding Christmas in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas — which can fall as early as November 27 or as late as December 3 — and ends at sunset on Christmas Eve. The 2026 First Sunday of Advent is November 29; subsequent Sundays are December 6 (Second Sunday), December 13 (Third Sunday, "Gaudete Sunday"), and December 20 (Fourth Sunday).

The Eastern Orthodox tradition has an analogous season (the Nativity Fast), which is six weeks rather than four. The Western season has been four weeks since the late 6th century under Pope Gregory I. The liturgical colour of Advent is purple (or in some traditions blue), shifting to rose for the Third Sunday (Gaudete, "Rejoice"), which is a midseason note of joy.

The season has a dual focus. It looks forward to Christmas — the celebration of the incarnation of Christ in Bethlehem — but also forward to the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time. The lectionary readings of Advent reflect both: the apocalyptic readings of the early Sundays, the prophetic readings about the coming Messiah, the readings about John the Baptist, and finally the Annunciation readings of the Fourth Sunday.

How it's observed

The Advent wreath is the most distinctive observance. A circular evergreen wreath holds four candles — three purple (or blue) and one rose for Gaudete — with one lit on each Sunday of Advent. Some traditions add a fifth white candle (the Christ Candle) lit on Christmas Eve. The wreath is set on the dinner table at home or in the centre of the church sanctuary, and the candles are lit at the family meal each Sunday.

Advent calendars — secular paper or chocolate calendars with 24 doors opening one each day from December 1 to December 24 — are now a global Advent tradition, originating in 19th-century Germany. The German Christkindlmarkt (Christmas markets) of Nuremberg, Cologne, Munich, Vienna and other Central European cities open on the First Sunday of Advent and run through December 23.

In churches, the Advent season is marked by purple vestments, the omission of the Gloria from the Mass (which returns on Christmas Eve), and a set of distinctive Advent hymns including "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" (a paraphrase of the medieval O Antiphons sung in the final week of Advent), "Wachet auf" ("Sleepers, Awake!"), and "Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending."

In Latin American Catholicism, the season is marked by Las Posadas — a nine-day re-enactment of Mary and Joseph's search for shelter, running from December 16 to December 24, with a different family hosting each evening. The Spanish/Portuguese tradition of the Belén (Nativity scene) is set up on the First Sunday of Advent and grows through the season, with the figure of the Christ child added only on Christmas Eve.

Past observances

• November 30, 2025 — First Sunday of Advent 2025
• December 3, 2023 — First Sunday of Advent 2023
• November 27, 2022 — First Sunday of Advent 2022
• November 28, 2021 — First Sunday of Advent 2021
• November 29, 2020 — First Sunday of Advent 2020
• December 1, 2019 — First Sunday of Advent 2019

How to observe

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) publishes Advent reflections and lectionary readings. The German Lutheran EKD publishes Advent calendars and family worship guides. The Vatican's Apostolic Penitentiary publishes the indulgence terms for the Advent calendar. Major cathedrals (Westminster, Notre Dame, Cologne, St. Peter's) host Advent vespers; many are streamed online.

Related countdowns

Advent 2026 leads to Christmas 2026 and forms part of the wider Christian calendar alongside Pentecost 2026, Epiphany 2026, Orthodox Easter 2026, and Easter 2027.

FAQ

When is the First Sunday of Advent 2026? Sunday, November 29, 2026. How long is Advent? Four Sundays — about 22 to 28 days, depending on which day of the week Christmas falls on. What's the Advent wreath? A circular evergreen wreath with four candles (three purple and one rose), lit one per Sunday of Advent, with an optional fifth white Christ candle for Christmas Eve. What's Gaudete Sunday? The Third Sunday of Advent — the midseason note of joy in an otherwise penitential season; the rose candle is lit and rose vestments are worn.