10/24/2026
For a child waiting for Christmas, a candle burning down can tell time better than a clock.
Advent has long been a season of preparation, filled with traditions that turn waiting into something shared. Two of our favorites begin with candlelight.
▫️ In Denmark, families burn a kalenderlys, a tall candle traditionally numbered from one through twenty-four. Versions marked through twenty-five continue into Christmas Day. Each day, another section burns away, giving children a way to see Christmas drawing closer, perhaps while everyone gathers for breakfast or on a nightstand.
▫️ The four-candle tradition began in Germany in 1839, when pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern fitted a wooden wheel with candles to help children in his care count the days until Christmas. His arrangement included candles for weekdays and Sundays. Over time, it became the familiar, and simpler, four candles, with one more lit each Sunday of Advent.
No matter how you choose to observe, we invite you to spend this December living intentionally, so that when Christmas arrives, you have truly lived the season rather than rushing through it.