When does Advent start, what’s it got to do with advent calendars and why does the date change?
This is where the tradition of advent calendars comes from - and when people started counting down to Christmas with chocolate...
Despite advent calendars starting on December 1, you may be surprised to hear that technically the Christmas countdown doesn't begin on the first day of the month.
This is everything you need to know about Advent, and when it runs in the religious sense.
When does Advent start and why does the date change?
Our chocolate advent calendars may run from December 1-24, but these aren't the exact dates for Advent in the religious sense.
In the Western Christian calendar, advent begins on the third Sunday before Christmas - meaning it's a movable feast.
This year, it falls on Sunday, December 2.
In Eastern Orthodox churches, which follow the Julian calendar, Advent begins on November 15 and lasts for 40 days.
Why do we have advent calendars?
The tradition of advent calendars dates back to the mid 19th century, when German Protestants made chalk marks on doors, or lit candles, in the run-up to Christmas.
The first printed version wasn't produced until the early 1900s, and it's widely attributed to Gerhard Lang.
It was inspired by one his mum had made for him, and featured 24 coloured pictures that attached to a piece of cardboard.
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Production stopped during World War II, because of a cardboard shortage, but resumed soon after.
Chocolate advent calendars didn't become a thing until the end of the 1950s.
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