Many Chicago-area residents are breaking out their Advent calendars in the run-up to Christmas, but when does the annual tradition begin?
According to Catholic News Agency, Advent is “a time of expectant waiting and preparation” for the Christmas holiday, with some churches observing specific rituals and events in the lead-up to the holiday.
Most denominations of Christianity observe Advent each year, but the holiday marks the start of the Catholic church’s “liturgical year,” or schedule of feasts and observances, also starts on the first Sunday of Advent.
Here's when Advent starts
While most Advent calendars can start on Dec. 1, Advent itself technically starts four Sundays before Christmas.
This year, that date falls one week from Sunday on Dec. 3.
Here is additional information about the origins of Advent calendars from NBC News' Maria Chamberlain.
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What is an Advent calendar and how does it work?
For those who are not religious, modern Advent calendars are a treat-filled way of marking off the days leading up to Christmas or Santa's arrival.
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They typically start on Dec. 1 and continue up to Dec. 25, though there are alternatives available such as the 12 Days of Christmas countdown calendars.
The most common type of Advent calendar is one that has paper calendar doors and a little piece of chocolate behind each door.
You should start with the door marked "one" and work your way up to 25.
What is the history behind the tradition?
According to the German company Sellmer Advents-Kallender, the concept of advent calendars dates back to the 19th century, when German families would mark their doors or walls with a tally mark in chalk to count the days until Christmas.
A German printer named Gerhard Lang is credited with the idea of the Advent Calendar itself. He designed cardboard Advent calendars around the turn of the century and later in the 1920s, came up with the idea of cutting out little doors that could be opened each day. Behind each door, one could expect to find a devotional picture or Bible verse.
In the United States, the popularity of the Advent Calendar didn't really take off until 1954, when Newsweek published a photo of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's grandchildren holding one.
And it wasn't until 1958 that the Advent Calendar's little doors began to have a small piece of chocolate, thanks to British chocolatier Cadbury.
Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
