This Catholic Advent calendar has a door for every day from the First Sunday of Advent to Christmas Day. Behind each door are a Bible story from the Jesse Tree, something small to do and a one-line prayer. It is free, and it remembers the doors you have opened.
How the Advent calendar works
- One door a day. During Advent a door opens on its own date and stays open. Before Advent begins you can look behind every door.
- It follows the Church’s Advent, which starts on a Sunday at the end of November or the beginning of December, not on December 1. In 2026 the first door opens on Sunday, November 29.
- Behind each door: the Bible reading of the day, one sentence on what it tells us, one small thing to do, and a short prayer.
- Sundays and feasts are marked. On the four Sundays the calendar tells you which candle to light on the Advent wreath. From December 17 it names the O Antiphon of the day.
- For families: read the story aloud at dinner, let a child open the door, and hang the day’s symbol on your Jesse Tree.
Behind the doors: every day of Advent
From December 1 the readings follow the Jesse Tree, the old Advent custom that tells the story of salvation from Creation to the birth of Christ. In years when Advent begins in November, the first doors have readings about keeping watch.
| Date | Story | Reading | Something to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 27 | Stay awake | Mark 13:33â37 | Put your phone away for the first ten minutes of the day and begin with a prayer. |
| November 28 | The mountain of the Lord | Isaiah 2:1â5 | Make peace with someone, or take the first step. |
| November 29 | Time to wake up | Romans 13:11â14 | Choose one thing to do every day of Advent, and write it down. |
| November 30 | Andrew, the first to be called | John 1:35â42 | Invite someone to come to Mass with you this Advent. |
| December 1 | Creation | Genesis 1:1â31 | Go outside for five minutes and thank God for three things you see. |
| December 2 | Adam and Eve | Genesis 3:1â15 | Make a short examination of conscience tonight. |
| December 3 | Noah and the flood | Genesis 6:11â22; 8:6â12 | Keep a promise today that you have been putting off. |
| December 4 | Abraham | Genesis 15:1â6 | Look at the night sky and hand one worry over to God. |
| December 5 | Isaac | Genesis 22:1â14 | Give away something that you would rather keep. |
| December 6 | Jacob’s ladder | Genesis 28:10â17 | Do a kindness in secret, as St. Nicholas did. |
| December 7 | Joseph and his brothers | Genesis 37:3â11 | Forgive someone in your family. |
| December 8 | Moses and the burning bush | Exodus 3:1â10 | Go to Mass today if you can, and pray one Hail Mary slowly. |
| December 9 | The Passover | Exodus 12:1â13 | Say slowly, three times: Lamb of God, have mercy on us. |
| December 10 | The Ten Commandments | Exodus 20:1â17 | Read the Ten Commandments and pick the one you most need to work on. |
| December 11 | Ruth | Ruth 1:16â17 | Stay a little longer with someone who needs company. |
| December 12 | Jesse | Isaiah 11:1â2 | Pray a decade of the Rosary for mothers and for children not yet born. |
| December 13 | David, the shepherd king | 1 Samuel 16:1â13 | Give your attention to someone who is usually overlooked. |
| December 14 | Solomon’s wisdom | 1 Kings 3:5â14 | Before a decision today, stop and ask God for wisdom. |
| December 15 | Elijah | 1 Kings 18:30â39 | Give up one thing today that takes God’s place. |
| December 16 | Isaiah’s prophecy | Isaiah 9:2, 6â7 | Begin the Christmas novena today and pray it for nine days. |
| December 17 | Jonah | Jonah 2:1â11 | Choose the day for your confession before Christmas. |
| December 18 | Daniel | Daniel 6:16â23 | Make the sign of the cross before a meal, wherever you are. |
| December 19 | Zechariah and Elizabeth | Luke 1:5â25 | Keep ten minutes of silence today. |
| December 20 | The Annunciation | Luke 1:26â38 | Pray the Angelus at noon. |
| December 21 | The Visitation | Luke 1:39â56 | Visit or call someone who is expecting a child, ill or alone. |
| December 22 | John the Baptist | Luke 1:57â80 | Clear away one thing that stands between you and another person. |
| December 23 | Joseph’s dream | Matthew 1:18â25 | Do the work in front of you quietly and well, as Joseph did. |
| December 24 | Bethlehem | Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1â7 | Set up the crib, and make room in your day for Christmas Mass. |
| December 25 | The birth of Jesus | Luke 2:8â20 | Wish someone a blessed Christmas, and tell them why you are glad. |
When does Advent begin?
Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day and ends on the evening of December 24. It can have between 22 and 28 days.
| Year | First Sunday of Advent | Days in Advent |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 29 | 26 |
| 2027 | November 28 | 27 |
| 2028 | December 3 | 22 |
| 2029 | December 2 | 23 |
Feasts and customs inside Advent
- November 30, St. Andrew: the St. Andrew Christmas novena begins and runs until Christmas Eve.
- December 6, St. Nicholas: the bishop who gave in secret. See the prayer to St. Nicholas.
- December 8, the Immaculate Conception: a holy day of obligation in the United States. See the Immaculate Conception.
- December 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe: see the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- December 13, St. Lucy: a feast of light in the darkest days. See the prayer to St. Lucy.
- December 16 to 24: the Christmas novena.
- December 17 to 23: the seven O Antiphons, one each evening.
- The four Sundays: the Advent wreath prayers for lighting the candles.
Frequently asked questions
Is the online Advent calendar free?
Yes. There is no account and nothing to download. The doors you open are remembered in your browser on this device.
Why does the calendar not start on December 1?
Shop calendars count the 24 days of December. The Church’s Advent starts on a Sunday, between November 27 and December 3, so this calendar starts there. From December 1 the doors follow the Jesse Tree, which has a story for every day of December up to Christmas.
Can I open a door early?
During Advent, no: each door waits for its day. Outside Advent every door is open, so that you can read ahead and prepare.
Is the calendar suitable for children?
Yes. The stories are the great ones of the Bible, told in one sentence, and the things to do are small. Younger children will need someone to read to them.
What is the Jesse Tree?
A small tree or branch on which a family hangs one symbol a day in Advent, each for a person or event on the way to Christ: an apple for Adam and Eve, a rainbow for Noah, a crown for David. The name comes from Isaiah 11:1, the shoot from the stump of Jesse. Our Jesse Tree guide explains how to make one.