Advent: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos and Videos

Advent wreath with three purple candles and one pink candle, all lit, surrounding a Nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus amid holly and greenery.

A woman lights candles in a dimly lit Church of the Nativity basilica in Bethlehem, with icons and religious paintings visible on the wall behind her.

Choristers in blue robes hold candles and sing from hymn books in a darkened Salisbury Cathedral, forming a circle of light during an Advent procession as onlookers watch.

What's the Difference Between Yule and Christmas?

History of Advent Calendars

See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

Topics

Church year Advent calendar Gaudete Sunday Christmas Easter All Saints’ Day All Souls’ Day Ati-Atihan Festival St. Stephen’s Day Feast of the Annunciation Midsummer Lent St. Nicholas Day

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Holy week. Easter. Valladolid. Procession of Nazarenos carry a cross during the Semana Santa (Holy week before Easter) in Valladolid, Spain. Good Friday

Christianity Quiz

Christ as Ruler, with the Apostles and Evangelists (represented by the beasts). The female figures are believed to be either Santa Pudenziana and Santa Praxedes or symbols of the Jewish and Gentile churches. Mosaic in the apse of Santa Pudenziana, Rome,A

Pop Quiz: 19 Things to Know About Christianity

Christmas tree, holiday, pine

How To Celebrate Christmas Quiz

Christmas tree, holiday, pine

Everything You Need To Know About Christmas Quiz