The History of the Advent Calendar (and How to Make a Wrapped One)
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For many families, Christmas officially begins on 1 December with the first little door of the Advent calendar. The countdown feels timeless, but the calendar itself is younger than you might think, and it has a fascinating history.
Here's the story of the Advent calendar, followed by our favourite way to make one: 24 tiny wrapped gifts.
Chalk Marks and Candles in 19th-Century Germany
The Advent calendar began with German Protestant families in the 1800s, who found simple ways to count the days to Christmas. Some drew chalk lines on a door and wiped one away each day. Others lit a candle or hung a small religious picture for every day of December.
The First Printed Calendars
The idea became a product in the early twentieth century. In 1908, Gerhard Lang and his business partner Reichhold began producing Advent calendars with little pictures hidden behind small doors, according to Sky HISTORY. Their company closed in 1930, but the idea had already caught on.
War, Revival and Snowy Scenes
Advent calendars were banned under the Nazi regime in the 1940s. After the war, in 1946, Richard Sellmer of Stuttgart began printing calendars again and exporting them around the world, popularising the snowy winter scenes many of us still picture today.
Enter the Chocolate
Cadbury began making chocolate Advent calendars in 1971, although they didn't become a permanent fixture on shop shelves until the 1990s. Today there are calendars for everything, from beauty and candles to cheese and wine.
How to Make a Wrapped Advent Calendar
The most beautiful calendar of all is one you make yourself: 24 small gifts, each wrapped and numbered. It takes an evening, and it will be the thing everyone remembers.
No. 01
Gather 24 Small Gifts
Mix treats with tiny practical things: chocolates, lip balm, hair ties, stickers, bath fizzers, a special ornament for 24 December. Small boxes make wrapping much easier, so pop loose items into a set of mini kraft envelopes first.
No. 02
Choose Three Coordinating Papers
One print on 24 gifts can look flat. Three coordinating papers that share a colour, alternated day by day, look far more styled. Our Mix any three offer saves 15% on three rolls, and for small parcels like these, one 30" x 36" sheet wraps several gifts.
No. 03
Number Every Parcel
Use number stickers or gift tags in gold or black, and write the numbers large enough to read from across the room.
No. 04
Display Them Beautifully
Pile the parcels in a large basket, hang them from a branch with ribbon, line them up along a mantel or peg them to a string of twine. Save the biggest, most special parcel for number 24.
Not sure how much paper you'll need? Our guide to how much wrapping paper to buy has the maths.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the first Advent calendar made?+
Families in 19th-century Germany counted down with chalk marks and candles. The first printed Advent calendars were made by Gerhard Lang, beginning in 1908.
When did chocolate Advent calendars start?+
Cadbury began making chocolate Advent calendars in 1971, and they became widely available in the 1990s.
Does an Advent calendar start on 1 December?+
Most modern Advent calendars run from 1 to 24 December, although the season of Advent itself begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
How do you make a DIY Advent calendar?+
Wrap 24 small gifts in two or three coordinating papers, number each parcel with stickers or tags and display them in a basket, on a mantel or hanging from twine.
Like fashion for your gifts.
