Advent at Home: A Simple Guide to the Four Weeks
Advent is the season of waiting before Christmas. In 2026 it begins on Sunday 29 November and lasts until Christmas Eve. The word means “coming”, and the season invites us to prepare for the birth of Jesus rather than rushing straight to the tinsel.
The Advent wreath
The simplest Advent tradition is the wreath: a circle of greenery with four candles, one lit for each Sunday of Advent. Three are traditionally purple and one is rose, lit on the third Sunday, called Gaudete Sunday, which falls on 13 December this year. Gaudete means “rejoice”. Many families light the candles at dinner and say a short prayer together.
If you have small children, a flameless candle is a safe way to keep the tradition. Our Carlo Acutis LED Candle (€10) gives a calm, flickering light and makes a lovely centrepiece for the table.
Four weeks, four themes
Many families give each week a theme: hope, peace, joy and love. Different traditions name them slightly differently, but the idea is the same. Each week we turn our hearts a little closer to the crib.
Small things to do each day
- Say a short prayer each evening, even just a Hail Mary, with the candle lit.
- Go to Confession before Christmas. Advent is a traditional time to make a fresh start.
- Set up the crib at the start of Advent and place the baby Jesus in it on Christmas Eve.
- Mark the feast days along the way: Saint Nicholas on 6 December and the Immaculate Conception on 8 December, which you can read about in 8 December: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
- Do one kind thing in secret each day, or put a coin aside for someone in need.
From 17 December the Church prays the O Antiphons at evening prayer, each one a title of the coming Messiah, such as O Wisdom, O Lord and O Root of Jesse. They are the source of the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
A slower December
Advent is also a good reminder to slow down. A jigsaw on a cold evening gives the family time together, and our Our Lady of Grace 1000-Piece Jigsaw (€15) is a 1000-piece puzzle to take your time over.
For a traditional Christmas prayer, see The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena, which begins on 30 November.
Before Christmas Eve, read about The Christmas Candle in the Window, an Irish tradition.
Marian Holy Art is an Irish Catholic company offering unique religious gifts and devotional items inspired by Lourdes, Knock and the Catholic faith. Our products are available exclusively through Marian Holy Art and are sold at Knock Shrine, Ireland.