Advent 2026: Dates, Meaning and Family Prayers
The Catholic Year
When does Advent 2026 begin?
Advent 2026 begins on Sunday 29 November 2026 and ends on the evening of Thursday 24 December, when the Christmas season starts with the Vigil Mass. Liturgically the season opens the evening before, with First Vespers on Saturday 28 November.
Advent is always the four Sundays before Christmas, so the date moves each year. Because Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday, the fourth week of Advent is a full one — you get the whole of Sunday 20 December through Thursday 24 December before Christmas arrives.
The four Sundays of Advent 2026
| Sunday | Date | Wreath candle | Traditional theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Sunday of Advent | Sunday 29 November 2026 | Violet | Hope — the coming of Christ in glory |
| Second Sunday of Advent | Sunday 6 December 2026 | Violet | Repentance — the preaching of John the Baptist |
| Third Sunday — Gaudete | Sunday 13 December 2026 | Rose | Joy — “Rejoice in the Lord always” |
| Fourth Sunday of Advent | Sunday 20 December 2026 | Violet | Love — the Annunciation and Mary’s yes |
Other key dates in Advent 2026
- Tuesday 8 December — the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A holy day of obligation in the United States and several other countries; check your own diocese.
- Saturday 12 December — Our Lady of Guadalupe, a feast in the Americas.
- Sunday 13 December — Gaudete Sunday. Rose vestments, and the one day in Advent when flowers return to the altar.
- Thursday 17 to Wednesday 23 December — the O Antiphons, the ancient titles of Christ sung at Vespers: O Wisdom, O Adonai, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Dayspring, O King of the Nations, O Emmanuel.
- Thursday 24 December — Christmas Eve. Advent ends with the evening Mass.
- Friday 25 December — the Nativity of the Lord. A holy day of obligation everywhere.
What Advent actually is
Advent is not a countdown to Christmas, and it is not Lent either. The Church calls it a season of “devout and joyful expectation” — a time of waiting that looks in two directions at once.
The first half of Advent, until 16 December, looks forward to Christ’s coming in glory at the end of time. The readings are about watchfulness, about being ready, about the world being put right. Only from 17 December does the season turn towards Bethlehem and the birth we are preparing to celebrate.
That is why the mood of Advent is quieter than Christmas but not penitential in the way Lent is. Violet vestments are worn, the Gloria is omitted at Mass, and the altar is kept relatively bare — yet the note struck throughout is hope rather than sorrow.
The Advent wreath, and how to bless it
The wreath is a circle of evergreen holding four candles: three violet and one rose, the rose lit on Gaudete Sunday. Some parishes use blue rather than violet. A fifth white candle in the centre, lit at Christmas, is a common addition though not part of the official rite.
The circle has no beginning and no end, a sign of God’s eternity; the evergreen stands for life that does not fail; and the growing light week by week is the plainest sign of all.
A family can bless its own wreath. The head of the household may say:
Lord God, your Church joyfully awaits the coming of its Saviour, who enlightens our hearts and dispels the darkness of ignorance and sin. Pour forth your blessings upon us as we light the candles of this wreath; may their light reflect the splendour of Christ, who is Lord, for ever and ever. Amen.
Then light the first candle. Each following week, one more.
Simple family prayers for each week
These take two minutes and work with children in the room. Light the candles, read the line of Scripture, say the prayer.
Week One — from 29 November
“Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)
Lord Jesus, you promised to come again. Keep us awake and hopeful, and make our home a place where you would be welcome. Amen.
Week Two — from 6 December
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” (Mark 1:3)
Lord Jesus, show us what needs clearing out of our lives before Christmas. Give us the honesty to see it and the courage to begin. Amen.
Week Three — from 13 December
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
Lord Jesus, you are near. Give us joy that does not depend on how the year has gone, and let it reach the people around us. Amen.
Week Four — from 20 December
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Lord Jesus, your mother said yes without knowing what it would cost. Give us the same trust in what you are asking of us now. Amen.
Ways to keep Advent well
- Go to Confession. Most parishes offer an Advent penitential service. Going early in December is easier than going in the last week, when everyone else has had the same idea.
- Keep the Jesse Tree. An ornament and a Scripture reading each day, from creation to the Nativity — the clearest way to show children that Christmas has a back story running through the whole Bible.
- Pray the St Andrew Christmas Novena. Traditionally begun on 30 November, the feast of St Andrew, and prayed fifteen times a day until Christmas.
- Do one thing for someone who will find Christmas hard. The bereaved, the newly separated, those far from family. Advent is the right season for it.
- Let the tree wait, at least a little. Not a rule, and not a competition in austerity — but keeping some of the celebration for the twelve days of Christmas, which begin on 25 December rather than ending there, changes how the season feels.
Frequently asked questions
When is the first Sunday of Advent 2026?
Sunday 29 November 2026. The season begins liturgically with First Vespers on the evening of Saturday 28 November.
When does Advent 2026 end?
Advent ends on the evening of Thursday 24 December 2026, before the first Mass of Christmas.
How many weeks is Advent 2026?
Four full weeks. Because Christmas Day falls on a Friday in 2026, the fourth week runs its full length.
Is Advent a season of fasting?
No. The Church asks no fasting in Advent. It is a season of preparation with a penitential note, which is why violet is worn and the Gloria is omitted, but the obligatory fast days of the Latin Church remain Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
What colour are the Advent candles?
Three violet and one rose. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, 13 December 2026. Some parishes use blue instead of violet, a legitimate local custom.
Is 8 December a holy day of obligation?
The Immaculate Conception on Tuesday 8 December 2026 is a holy day of obligation in the United States and in a number of other countries, but not everywhere. Check with your own diocese.
When does Christmas actually begin and end?
The Christmas season begins with the Vigil Mass on 24 December and runs until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January. Christmas starts on 25 December — it does not end there.
Sources and further reading
- USCCB: Advent and its meaning
- USCCB: liturgical calendar, 2027 year beginning 29 November 2026
- Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Prepared by Catholic Repository. Sources checked 24 September 2026. A lay educational resource, not an official Church publication.