Your Christmas Eve service may be the date circled on the staff calendar, but Advent arrives first, and it sets the tone for everything after it.
Advent is a season when people are open to an invitation. According to Lifeway Research, more than half of Americans (56%) say they’d likely attend church at Christmastime if someone they know invited them!
Most churches plan for their Christmas Eve services, but Advent services during the month of December are just as important. Advent 2026 gives your church four weeks to slow down, build anticipation, and point people to the hope of Christ’s birth as you lead up to Christmas.
With Christmas and the new year just around the corner, we know your team is hard at work to prepare powerful content that proclaims the gospel and brings your community together. If you’re wondering about this season, let’s take a look at some Advent 2026 dates, what it is, and how to best prepare.
What is Advent & when did it begin?
The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “a coming” or “arrival.” It encompasses the four Sundays leading up to Christmas and is marked by hope and joy as we prepare to celebrate Christmas and the arrival of Jesus. Some churches also choose to focus on the second coming of Christ.
Much like Lent, Advent is a season of waiting, preparation and reflection. Christians have observed it for centuries, and church historians often trace an early formal reference to the Council of Sargossa in 380 A.D.
When does Advent 2026 start?
Advent 2026 begins on Sunday, November 29, and ends on Thursday, December 24.
What are the four Sundays of Advent?
The Advent season always begins on a Sunday and includes the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, always ending on Christmas Eve. Many churches use special candles to represent the four Advent Sundays. For example, a common variation is as follows:
- The First Sunday of Advent marks the start of a new liturgical year. It is one of hope and uses a purple candle, also known as the “Prophecy Candle,” to symbolize royalty. It calls back to the prophets of Israel who foretold the birth of Christ. The First Sunday of Advent is on November 29, 2026.
- The Second Sunday of Advent represents the faith of Mary's and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It, too, uses a purple candle called the “Bethlehem Candle” to symbolize the preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The Second Sunday of Advent is on December 6, 2026.
- The Third Sunday of Advent is one of joy and is marked by a pink "Shepherd’s Candle." We are to rejoice in anticipation just like the shepherds who journeyed to see Jesus. The Third Sunday of Advent is on December 13, 2026.
- The Fourth Sunday of Advent represents peace. The "Angel’s Candle” is purple and acts as a reminder of the angels and their message of “peace on earth, good will toward men.” The Fourth Sunday of Advent is on December 20, 2026.
Traditions vary. Many churches use the order hope, peace, joy and love instead or add a white Christ Candle in the center of the wreath and light it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
What is an Advent calendar?
An Advent calendar is used to mark every day of Advent leading up to Christmas. These often have a symbol, prompt, or gift for each day that is gradually revealed as Christmas approaches.
Today, many secular Advent calendars are filled with candy, toys, and other items unrelated to the nativity of Jesus. However, a true Christian Advent calendar can include Bible verses, prayer prompts, or symbols that point back to the real meaning of the season and encourage spiritual preparation.
Your church can offer a digital version by adding a daily Advent reading plan or devotional to your app.
How can your church make the most of Advent 2026?
Advent gives you a natural four-week arc to plan around. Here are a few places to start:
- Plan your series. Use these 10 tips for planning an Advent sermon series to pick a theme and map out all four Sundays.
- Give people something to read every day. The free Christmas Graphic Templates Kit includes a 15-day Advent reading plan, sermon art, social posts and push notification templates.
- Incorporate an Advent wreath into your services. Light one candle during each Sunday service, adding a new one every week. Pair each lighting with a short Scripture reading and prayer tied to that week’s theme of hope, faith, joy or peace.
- Stretch each message further. Pulpit AI turns your Advent sermons into devotionals, small group guides, social clips and more, all in your voice.
- Invite early and often. Try these 5 ways to promote your church’s Christmas services throughout Advent.
Enjoy free holiday resources from Subsplash!
Advent is a profound time of year to spiritually prepare for Christmas, honor the birth of Christ, and spread the good news of the gospel. It’s also one of the busiest seasons of the year! At Subsplash, we’re offering a trove of free resources to help make your Christmas season as seamless as possible.
Be sure to check out these free resources for your church to make a bigger impact this holiday season, including our 2026 Christmas Graphics Kit, templates for promoting your Christmas services, church Christmas programs & templates, and Christmas visitor follow-up messages for churches.
Subsplash partners with over 20,000 churches and organizations around the world to engage millions of people every week with the truth of Jesus. If you'd like to learn how your church can use technology to reach and disciple more people this Christmas and beyond, [.blog-contact-cta]connect with our team today[.blog-contact-cta]!
