The St. Andrew Christmas Novena is a short prayer said fifteen times a day from the Feast of St. Andrew, November 30, until Christmas. In 2026 you begin on Monday, November 30 and continue through Thursday, December 24 (many families also pray it on Christmas Day). Here is the prayer:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
How to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena
- Start on November 30, the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, which usually falls near the First Sunday of Advent.
- Pray the prayer fifteen times each day until Christmas Eve. You do not have to say all fifteen at once.
- Hold one intention in your heart, or write it down and keep it near your Advent wreath or nativity scene.
- Pray with attention. Fifteen recitations take about five minutes. Let each one be a small visit to the manger.
Practical ways to fit in fifteen
- Five in the morning, five at lunch and five in the evening.
- With your rosary: use one decade plus five beads, or the five beads of a decade three times.
- At the Advent wreath: pray the novena together as a family after lighting the candles. See Advent wreath prayers.
- Set a reminder on your phone for the first few days until it becomes a habit.
- If you miss a day, simply continue. A novena is a prayer of love and trust, not a contract.
What the prayer means
- “Hail and blessed be the hour and moment…” The prayer greets the very moment of the Incarnation made visible: the birth of Christ. It echoes the angel’s greeting to Mary and the shepherds’ wonder.
- “…of the most pure Virgin Mary…” It confesses Mary’s virginity and her unique role as Mother of God.
- “…at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.” The prayer dwells on the poverty and humility of Jesus’ birth, an invitation to contemplate a God who chose weakness.
- “In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer…” We bring our needs to the stable, asking God to grant them for the sake of His Son and His Mother.
Why is it called the St. Andrew novena?
The prayer is named after St. Andrew only because it begins on his feast day, November 30. It is not addressed to him. It is sometimes called the Christmas Anticipation Prayer. And although it is called a novena, it lasts about 25 days rather than nine, because it runs from the end of November to Christmas.
St. Andrew is a fitting patron for it all the same. He was the first apostle to follow Jesus and the first to bring someone else to Him: “We have found the Messias” (John 1:41, Douay-Rheims), he told his brother Simon Peter. The novena asks us to do the same during Advent: find Christ ourselves, and bring others to Him.
History of the prayer
The author of the prayer is unknown. It was printed with an imprimatur in New York in 1897, and it has been prayed in Catholic families ever since, especially in Ireland, the United States and the Philippines. It has never been part of the Church’s official liturgy, but it is a beloved private devotion fully in harmony with Catholic faith.
The novena calendar for 2026
- Sunday, November 29: First Sunday of Advent (the day before you start).
- Monday, November 30: Day 1, Feast of St. Andrew.
- Tuesday, December 8: Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation (details).
- Saturday, December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- Sunday, December 13: Gaudete Sunday.
- December 17–23: the O Antiphons.
- Thursday, December 24: last day of the novena, Christmas Eve.
- Friday, December 25: Christmas Day.
Tips for praying it as a family
- Divide the fifteen: each family member says a few, so children are not overwhelmed.
- Use a paper chain of 25 links and remove one each day.
- Write intentions on slips of paper and place them under the empty manger of your nativity scene. On Christmas, the Christ Child “receives” them.
- Pray it for someone else: a sick relative, a friend who has drifted from the faith, a family in need.
Frequently asked questions
When do you start the St. Andrew Christmas Novena?
On November 30, the Feast of St. Andrew. In 2026 that is a Monday.
When does the St. Andrew novena end?
On Christmas Eve, December 24. Some people continue through Christmas Day.
Do I have to say it fifteen times in a row?
No. You can spread the fifteen recitations through the day.
What if I start late?
Start when you can. Some people pray extra recitations to “catch up,” but this is not required. God does not count prayers the way we do.
Is the St. Andrew novena only for one intention?
Traditionally people keep one main intention, but you may pray for several, or for the needs of others.
Related pages
- Christmas Mass 2026
- Gaudete Sunday 2026
- Advent 2026: dates and meaning
- Advent candles: colors and order
- Advent wreath prayers for each week
- Prayers of the Faithful for Advent
More Advent prayers
- The nine-day Christmas Novena (December 16 to 24)
- Immaculate Conception novena (Nov 29 to Dec 7)
- St. Andrew the Apostle: life and feast day
- The Jesse Tree
- Simbang Gabi
- Las Posadas
- St. Nicholas prayer (December 6)
- St. Francis Xavier prayer and Novena of Grace
Sources
- Traditional text with imprimatur, New York, 1897
- John 1:35–42 (Douay-Rheims)
- Roman Martyrology, November 30 (St. Andrew, Apostle)