First Day Of Advent 2021: When Does Advent Start This Year?

Martin Lewis' tips for saving money on Christmas shopping

Advent isn’t just one day of the year - it’s a season of the liturgical year observed in most Christian denominations. It’s a period of waiting and preparation for Christmas that can last between 22 and 28 days. While advent calendars are mostly made to be opened from December 1 every day until Christmas, the first day of advent changes every year. When does Advent start this year?

• Louise Minchin's secret parenting tip for Kate Middleton
• Kate Middleton and Prince William show 'new level' in marriage

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Advent, which means ‘coming’ in Latin, isn’t just about eating chocolate every morning, it’s the Christian period of waiting for Christmas.

Historically and to this day, Christians are meant to use the four Sundays and weeks before advent to get ready for the big day and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

The actual start date of Advent varies from year to year, so it can be hard to remember when the period begins.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE- Bake Off: Sophie Faldo's secret to perfecting a lemon drizzle cake

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

First day of Advent 2021: Advent is four weeks before Christmas, usually (Image: Getty)

First day of Advent 2021: Advent doesn't always start on December 1 (Image: Getty)

• ‘Cripsy’ & ‘fluffy’: Jamie Oliver shares how to make roast potatoes

People often wrongly assume advent starts on December 1 just because that’s when you can open your Advent calendar.

Advent only starts on December 1 when Christmas Day is on a Wednesday (which happened in 2019).

This year, Christmas Day is on a Saturday.

First day of Advent 2021: Advent means 'coming] (Image: Getty)

When does Advent start this year?

The first day of Advent is always on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day.

Advent Sunday can be as early as November 27 (which it was in 2016) to December 3 (which it was in 2017).

This year, Advent starts on Sunday, November 28 and ends on Friday, December 24.

DON'T MISS...How to budget for bills this winter: Financial adviser shares top tips [INFORMER]UK plans travel bans to save Christmas [INSIGHT]How to make your home smell like Christmas: 5 DIY fragrances to try [EXPLAINER]

• Brits are counting down the days to Christmas - festive since October
• Save £20 on the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Hot Chocolate Machine

• Christmas cactus: ‘Easy to maintain’ in winter - how to look plant

Why do we celebrate advent?

Even Christians get blindsided by the presents and celebrations that come with Christmas.

The Advent period is a time period where Christians are supposed to remember the real meaning of Christmas and prepare for those celebrations.

The word Christmas comes from ‘Christ’, and the day commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Your daily horoscope with Russell Grant plus selected offers and competitions Subscribe Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

First day of Advent 2021: Purple is the colour of advent (Image: Getty)

Many Advent customs involve counting down the days until Christmas, but the church has its own religious traditions.

For example, some churches use Advent wreaths with five candles and light one of the four on the outside every Sunday in the leadup to Christmas Day - the final candle is lit on Christmas Day itself.

There are also different readings to be read by members of the church every single Sunday at mass.

You’ll also spot the colour purple being used throughout the church, on the priest's clothing, the tabernacle and on the hangings around the church.

Christmas Christianity Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Comments Most Read Most Commented Latest videos Epstein forced victims to perform semi-clothed catwalk auditions in seized videos Hong Kong freedom hero Jimmy Lai's sentence means he will likely die in Chinese prison Andrew Mountbatten-Windor moved to Norfolk estate to 'contain him' amid Epstein fallout Lord of the Flies fans complain minutes into BBC survival thriller's debut Historical war film that's 'one of the decade's most underrated masterpieces' Dog trainer says doing 1 thing will make pups come to you when called Three UK high street icons fall into administration — 'will be seriously missed' I tried 5 supermarket own-brand toothpastes – a 50p tube beat Colgate I go to the cinema every week – here are the best deals for cheap tickets Britons name the 15 bosses they would love or hate to work for UK households warned of 1 hidden mould hotspot that almost everyone misses Police advice on what to do when your neighbour has a noisy house party I asked heating experts the ideal thermostat temperature — they gave the same number 'I'm a canine expert — all dog owners need to take special precautions next week' 'My grandfather accidentally revealed a shocking family secret about the mafia' Owner adopts 'beagle mix' and is floored by DNA test results 18 years later Valentine's Day flower deliveries that won't cost you more than £50 I visited UK high street that's 'becoming a ghost town' as iconic department store closes Urgent product recall warnings for soap, duvet and beauty cream — full list Poundland and River Island closing stores and Morrisons closing bakery in 2026 — list Professional cleaner's easy method to freshen up entire house 'in 15 minutes' Man who thought he'd died shares what he saw — 'I was unbelievably happy' I visited major city shopping centre getting £10m overhaul — it can't come fast enough Full list of all baby formulas recalled as 36 infants 'poisoned' by toxin 'I'm a vet — one diet switch could help your dog live up to three years longer' Popular British retailer set to close three more stores this weekend Asda recalls homeware item as it could contain metal pins Phone camera rolls contain 350 stranger faces from photobombs, study finds These 8 books were banned but can 'teach you important lesson' These 5 traits could be signs your cat is trying to protect you Tourist thought he was buying gelato in Rome then checked his bank balance Asda announces major £1 change to in-store cafes this month Dog is left forgotten in kennels for 3 years for tragic reason Couple notice their Labrador howling frantically on pet cam and realise terrifying reason Aldi makes big change in stores ahead of Valentine's Day 'I told my friend she can't be my daughter's godmother any more after she said 1 thing' Amazon customers urged to look out for product recall scam happening in the UK

Daily Express uses notifications to keep you updated

Keep me updated No thanks