German Advent Calendar: Fact of the Day

1. Dezember – Der Adventskalender 2023

Advent is the four-week period leading up to Christmas. The Advent season begins on the first Sunday after November 26. The first Advent Sunday in 2023 is December 3. The 24-day Advent calendar countdown to Christmas begins on the first day of December.

December 1 is the traditional start for many German, Austrian and Swiss Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte), although some open in late November, depending on the date of the first Advent weekend. See the December 2 Advent calendar entry (in season) for more about Christmas markets.

Learn more when our ADVENT CALENDAR begins on December 1!

More on The German Way
Birthday and Holiday Calendar
A special downloadable calendar with birth dates of notable people, plus holidays and observances in the German-speaking world

MORE > German Christmas Carols around the Advent wreath on each Advent Sunday.
MORE > Advent Customs in Germany

Back | Advent Customs in Germany

Related Pages
AT THE GERMAN WAY

• Christmas from A to Z – German Christmas traditions and terms
• Advent – The Latin word means “arrival.” This custom begins on the first Advent Sunday around December 1.
• Photo Gallery: Christmas in Germany – Berlin – A visual tour of Christmas markets and other December sights in Berlin
• Christmas in the USA and Germany– A comparison chart
• German Christmas Carols – Popular carols with lyrics in German and English
• Barbarazweig – The legend and the Christmas custom
• Epiphany and the Sternsinger – January 6 in the Germanic Christmas tradition
• Der Schwibbogen: The German Candle Arch – Yet another Germanic Christmas decorative tradition from Saxony
• Erntedank (“harvest thanksgiving”) or Erntedankfest in Germany and Austria is different from the American Thanksgiving tradition.
• St. Nicholas – The many German St. Nicks
• Thomas Nast created the modern Santa image.
• The Christmas Pickle Ornament – Fact or fiction?
• Silent Night (Stille Nacht) – Our “Silent Night” page has the true story and related links.
• Holidays and Celebrations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland
• Glass Ornaments – a history