Advent calendar
A calendar counting Advent days toward Christmas.
An Advent calendar, known in German as an *Adventskalender*, is a tool for marking the days of Advent as Christmas approaches. It was first used by German Lutherans during the 19th and 20th centuries and later adopted by other Christian denominations. The calendar may start on December 1 or on the First Sunday of Advent, a date that varies between November 27 and December 3. Many reusable calendars made of paper or wood begin on December 1.
Traditional designs often feature the manger scene, Saint Nicholas, or winter weather, but themes now range from sports to technology. Calendars come in many forms: simple paper cards with flaps for each day, fabric pockets on a scenic background, or painted wooden boxes with cubbyholes for small items. A common type is a large rectangular card with flaps—called doors or windows—one for each day from December 1 through December 24 or 25. These doors are opened daily, often in no particular order, revealing images, poems, story excerpts (such as the Nativity), or small gifts like toys or chocolates. Many include a Bible verse and Christian prayer for daily devotions. Some European villages create Advent calendars on buildings or “living” calendars where different windows are decorated each day.
After World War II, Advent calendars were produced again in all occupation zones, often based on sweet designs from around 1930. Publishers like Erika in Heidenau reprinted older works, though these later copies can be distinguished by poorer paper and printing quality. Tear-off calendars were initially popular. The Richard Sellmer publishing house received a license to print Advent calendars in December 1945 in Stuttgart, from American authorities. Permission to print 50,000 calendars used paper from the French zone. Sellmer’s first calendar, *Die kleine Stadt* (“The Little Town”) by Elisabeth Lörcher, was a stand-up design, presented at Messe Frankfurt with an eye on US customers. It was already in English and Swedish, and manuals in English and French were added to “Alt-Stuttgart” calendars from 1948. US soldiers helped spread them, leading to a major order of 50,000 calendars from an aid organization for epileptics. After *Newsweek* showed a picture of Eisenhower’s grandson with an Advent calendar in December 1953, demand surged.
- Origin
- Germany
- First used by
- German Lutherans
- Period of origin
- 19th and 20th centuries
- Common start date
- December 1 or First Sunday of Advent
- Typical end date
- December 24 or December 25
- Common form
- Card with flaps (doors or windows) for each day
Lore & Background
The Advent calendar was first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries. After World War II, production resumed in all occupation zones, with many calendars based on sweet designs from around 1930. The Richard Sellmer publishing house received a license to print Advent calendars in December 1945 in Stuttgart, producing the stand-up calendar Die kleine Stadt. Sellmer's calendars were marketed internationally, with manuals in English and French added from 1948. A major boost came when Newsweek showed a picture of Eisenhower's grandson on an Advent calendar in December 1953, causing demand to rise massively. Other publishers, such as Ars Sacra in Munich and Korsch in Munich, also resumed production, with tear-off calendars popular initially but replaced by fold-out doors around 1950.
Reader's Guide
The Advent calendar has evolved from a simple devotional tool into a widespread cultural and commercial phenomenon. Its significance lies in its role as a tangible countdown to Christmas, helping Christians incorporate daily Advent devotions through Bible verses and prayers printed on the doors. The calendar's design has diversified greatly, from traditional manger scenes and Saint Nicholas to themes of sports, technology, and luxury products. In Nordic countries, the tradition expanded into television and radio shows called Julekalender or Julkalender, starting in 1957 in Sweden. In recent years, manufacturers have adopted the Advent calendar format to promote products, creating hundreds of versions containing small toys, foodstuffs, or luxury beauty items. The calendar's legacy is its adaptability: it has moved from religious observance to a global seasonal tradition, while still retaining its core function of marking the days until Christmas.
Religious Origins and Devotional Purpose
The Advent calendar traces its roots to German Lutheran communities in the 19th and 20th centuries, where it served as a tangible way to mark the passage of days during the Advent season in anticipation of Christmas. Because the First Sunday of Advent shifts each year, landing anywhere between November 27 and December 3, many reusable paper or wooden calendars simply begin on December 1, while others anchor themselves to that movable liturgical date. Beyond mere counting, the calendar functions as a devotional tool: individual doors often carry a Bible verse and a Christian prayer, which believers fold into their daily Advent reflections. Behind the flaps, one might find a fragment of the Nativity narrative, a poem, or a small gift such as a toy or piece of chocolate. What began as a distinctly Lutheran practice has since crossed denominational lines, spreading to other Christian traditions and eventually into broader secular culture. The calendar thus occupies a unique space where liturgical observance, family ritual, and simple daily delight converge.
Post-War Revival and Sellmer's International Push
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, a yearning for a restored ideal world extended to the Christmas season, and by 1945 Advent calendars were once again being manufactured across all German occupation zones. Publishers like Erika in Heidenau simply reprinted pre-war designs, often distinguishable only by the inferior paper and printing quality of the post-war era. The Richard Sellmer publishing house in Stuttgart received its printing license from the American occupation authorities in December 1945, with paper sourced from the French zone. Sellmer's first product, the stand-up calendar Die kleine Stadt designed by Elisabeth Lörcher, was presented at the Frankfurt trade fair with ambitions for US customers and was already rendered in English and Swedish. US soldiers returning home carried calendars back across the Atlantic, and a major order of 50,000 units from an aid organization for epileptics followed. A December 1953 Newsweek photograph showing Eisenhower's grandson with an Advent calendar triggered a surge in American demand. By 1954, Sellmer had produced a White House-themed calendar surrounded by cowboys and prairie schooners, commissioned specifically for the US market. Between 1946 and 1998, the company released more than 230 distinct calendar designs.
Design Evolution and Physical Forms
The physical form of the Advent calendar has evolved considerably since the early post-war years. Tear-off calendars dominated for a few years after 1946, but by around 1950 they had largely given way to the now-familiar format of a large rectangular card bearing 24 flaps, called doors or windows, each corresponding to a day of December up to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. These doors are frequently arranged in no particular sequence across the card. Beyond the standard paper-and-flap construction, calendars take many other shapes: fabric pockets set against a painted background scene, or carved wooden boxes with cubby holes for small keepsakes. The imagery behind the doors ranges from traditional subjects like the manger scene, Saint Nicholas, and wintry landscapes to entirely secular themes such as sports or technology. In some European villages, the concept extends far beyond a single household object; entire buildings serve as Advent calendars, or living calendars are created in which different windows are decorated for each successive day. One notable outlier, Paula Jordan's The Secret of Christmas, is a Three Kings' calendar that stretches the countdown all the way to the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.
Cultural Localization and Global Adaptation
As the Advent calendar spread beyond its German Lutheran origins, publishers learned that a uniform design would not travel well. Sellmer added English and French manuals to its Alt-Stuttgart calendars as early as 1948, and by 1954 it was commissioning entirely new motifs for specific markets. The company's Swiss editions deliberately omit Saint Nicholas, reflecting local tradition, while American calendars feature angels without wings and the United Kingdom favors religious themes. One inventive solution appeared in Ulla Wittkuhn's Bastelhaus calendar, which offered two separate images behind the December 24 door: a Christmas tree and the Madonna with child for German children, and a burning fireplace for their American counterparts. The Munich-based Ars Sacra publishing house produced carefully detailed religious calendars through the 1970s, with Gudrun Keussen responsible for roughly thirty designs between 1954 and 1976. After the company rebranded as arsEdition in 1980, its content shifted toward family-oriented themes. Meanwhile, the Korsch publishing house, founded in 1951, acquired designs from other publishers, including works by East German artists Kurt Brandes and Fritz Baumgarten, and still markets many of those older motifs today, making it among the most successful houses in the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Advent calendar?
The Advent calendar is a German counting-down tradition that originated among Lutheran Christians in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was later picked up by other Christian groups and eventually became a widespread secular holiday practice.
What is Advent calendar's purpose or role?
Its job is to mark each day of the Advent season so that a person can watch the countdown tick down toward Christmas. Each day reveals a small surprise or image, turning the wait into a daily ritual of anticipation.
When does Advent calendar's countdown begin and end?
Most calendars open on December 1, though some start on the First Sunday of Advent, which can fall anywhere between November 27 and December 3. The final day is typically December 24 or 25, coinciding with Christmas Eve or Christmas Day itself.
What does Advent calendar look like and how does it work?
The classic format is a card or board with numbered flaps, doors, or little windows—one for each day of the season. Behind each flap sits a small picture, a treat, or a religious illustration; traditional art often shows the Nativity scene, Saint Nicholas, or wintry landscapes, while modern versions cover everything from sports to tech.
Why is Advent calendar important in German culture?
It gave German Lutherans a tangible, daily way to structure the spiritual waiting period before Christmas, blending devotion with a touch of childlike excitement. Because the design is simple and reusable—often made of paper or wood—it spread far beyond its church roots and became a staple of winter celebrations worldwide.
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