Advent Dates Table
| Year | Advent begins | Christmas lands on | Nativity Fast (Eastern) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Nov 29 | Dec 25, Friday | Nov 15 |
| 2027 | Nov 28 | Dec 25, Saturday | Nov 15 |
| 2028 | Nov 3 | Dec 25, Monday | Nov 15 |
| 2029 | Nov 2 | Dec 25, Tuesday | Nov 15 |
| 2030 | Nov 1 | Dec 25, Wednesday | Nov 15 |
| 2031 | Nov 30 | Dec 25, Thursday | Nov 15 |
| 2032 | Nov 28 | Dec 25, Saturday | Nov 15 |
| 2033 | Nov 27 | Dec 25, Sunday | Nov 15 |
| 2034 | Nov 3 | Dec 25, Monday | Nov 15 |
| 2035 | Nov 2 | Dec 25, Tuesday | Nov 15 |
| 2036 | Nov 30 | Dec 25, Thursday | Nov 15 |
Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas, so its start date is arithmetic, not announcement: the First Sunday of Advent always falls somewhere between November 27 and December 3, and the season always ends on Christmas Eve no matter which day it began. In 2026 Advent begins on Sunday, November 29; the latest possible start, December 3, happens when Christmas falls on a Monday-and-a-bit patterns of the leap cycle.
The table carries eleven years of First Sundays side by side with the Christmas weekday - the piece that actually moves party planning - plus the Eastern Christian Nativity Fast, which runs a fixed November 15 start regardless of Sundays.
How to use
- Pick a year to see its First Sunday of Advent, the weekday Christmas lands on, and the fixed Eastern fast date.
- Note the four-Sunday structure: four candles, one lit each Sunday, in most Western traditions.
- For calendar-blocking, the safe span is November 27 to December 3 - whatever your year, the First Sunday lives inside that week.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Advent start on a different date every year?
Because it is anchored to Christmas rather than to a calendar date: Advent includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas, so its first Sunday is simply the fourth one back from December 25. That lands it between November 27 (earliest) and December 3 (latest). Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday, which pushes the first Sunday to November 29.
Is an advent calendar the same as the liturgical season?
No - the cardboard advent calendar counts December 1 through 24 with a door a day, a Victorian-era devotional custom that has since gone secular. The church season of Advent moves with the Sundays and can start as early as November 27, before any calendar door exists. If you want the doors to run out exactly on Christmas Eve, a 24-door calendar opened from December 1 does that every year by design.
What is the Nativity Fast and how does it differ?
It is the Eastern Christian analogue of Advent: 40 days of fasting and preparation before Christmas, running on fixed dates from November 15 to December 24 in churches on the Gregorian calendar. Unlike Western Advent it is date-anchored rather than Sunday-anchored, so it always starts the same day - the table lists it beside the Western dates for households that keep either or both.
What is the order of the Advent candles?
Practices genuinely vary by congregation, so treat any single list as a custom rather than a rule. The common Western pattern lights one candle on each of the four Sundays - often styled hope, peace, joy and love, with the third Sunday's candle pink in traditions that keep Gaudete rose - and many families relight all four, plus a white center candle on Christmas, on Christmas Eve. Ask your own parish or church what it follows; the dates, at least, are settled by the table above.