Advent candles: when do you light it, and where does it come from?

The advent candle is one of those Christmas traditions that quietly marks how close you are to Christmas Eve, without you having to open a little door or count Sundays. You light it, watch it burn down a bit, and then another day has passed. But how do you actually do it right, what do you put it in, and where does the custom come from?

Here you'll find the answers to the practical questions you need in December, from when the candle is lit for the first time, to what you do if you forget an evening.

How the advent candle works in practice

The advent candle is marked with the dates of December, and you burn it down to the day's number each time. This means the candle is lit for the first time on 1 December, and the last number is reached on Christmas Eve on 24 December. Most families have a fixed routine, where the candle is lit at the same time each day, often in the evening at mealtime, so it becomes a little pause in everyday life where you notice that another day has passed on the way to Christmas. The candle can stand on its own in a candlestick, or it can be placed in a Christmas decoration together with fir branches and other Christmas decorations.

What is an advent candle?

An advent candle is a candle marked with the dates of December up to Christmas Eve. Each day, you burn the candle down a little further to the day's marking, so you can see the days pass on the way to Christmas, a bit like an advent calendar counting down to Christmas Eve. Traditionally, advent candles are white, but other colours with a Christmas feel have become popular, so you can choose a candle that suits the rest of your Christmas decorations, whether you're going for the classic look or something more colourful.

How to use the advent candle day by day

Using it is simple, but it helps to have a fixed routine, so the candle follows the calendar correctly:

• Light the candle at the same time each day, so it becomes a natural part of everyday life, for example when the family gathers for dinner.
• Keep an eye on the flame while it burns, and put it out when the candle has reached the day's number or mark.
• If you've forgotten a day, you can simply burn the candle down to the day's number the next time you light it.
• If you've burned it down too far one evening, you can skip an evening, so the candle matches the date again.

This small daily ritual is one of the reasons the advent candle has become a fixed part of many families' December. It's a simple routine that children quickly learn and love taking part in.

Candlestick or Christmas decoration: which suits you?

Some put the advent candle in an ordinary candlestick, while others choose a homemade Christmas decoration with a clay candle holder wrapped in foil or set in oasis foam, decorated with fir branches, for example Nordmann fir and noble fir, holly, ivy, pinecones, baubles and ribbons.

If you go for the simple solution with a candlestick, you get a calm look where the candle itself is the focus, and you can easily move it around the home. A candlestick in stoneware, such as the Missy candlestick in stoneware, gives an earthy look, while a candlestick in crystal, such as the Round crystal candlestick in pink, adds a bit of sparkle to December. If you'd rather have a whole decoration with fir branches and trimmings, you'll get a cosy Christmas feel that takes up more space on the table, but it also means you need to keep a closer eye on things as the fir branches dry out over time. Both are good choices. It's about what suits your style and your table.

Fire safety with the advent candle

The closer you get to Christmas Eve, the more the calendar candle has burned down into the decoration, and at the same time the fir has become bone dry, so it can easily catch fire if the candle gets too close. That's why the DBI recommends giving Christmas decorations a flame-retardant spray, which you can buy in most DIY shops, and never leaving candles burning unattended. The Danish Emergency Management Agency also advises putting out lit candles whenever you leave the room.

The figures behind this advice speak for themselves: from January to November in the years 2020 to 2024, an average of 37 fires a month broke out in Danish living rooms, while the number rose to 83 in December. That's why the 1st of December is also Nordic Smoke Alarm Day, when the Danish Emergency Management Agency urges everyone to test their smoke alarms, just before the calendar candle really comes into use.

Advent candle, advent wreath and advent calendar: what's the difference?

The three traditions resemble each other because they all count down to Christmas, but they each do it in their own way:

If you'd like to know more about the dates and meaning of Advent, you can read What is Advent? Meaning, dates and traditions, or get inspiration for the wreath itself in Advent decoration: wreath, advent candle holder or candlesticks.

The history behind the advent candle

The calendar candle is actually a relatively new Christmas tradition, rooted in an older custom of counting down the days to Christmas. In the early 1900s, it was common to count down the days to Christmas in schools, and in some families, people had homemade calendars with candles that were lit for each day that passed.

The first description of a homemade calendar candle is found in a book from 1935, where Lis Byrdal described a small, thick candle with 23 thin, black ink rings, which was burned down to the next line every evening from the 1st of December, and the day the candle burned out, it was Christmas. The first factory-made date candles in Denmark came from the company Asp-Holmblad, which sold them in 1942, during the German occupation.

Frequently asked questions

When do you light the calendar candle?

The calendar candle is lit for the first time on the 1st of December and burned down each day, right up to the last number reached on Christmas Eve, the 24th of December.

What do you do if you've forgotten to light the calendar candle?

If you've missed a day, just burn the candle down to that day's number the next time you light it, and if you've burned it too far, you can skip an evening.

Can you put a calendar candle in an ordinary candlestick?

Yes, some people choose an ordinary candlestick, while others put the calendar candle in a Christmas decoration with fir branches and Christmas ornaments.

How old is the calendar candle tradition?

The first description of a homemade calendar candle dates from 1935, and the first factory-made date candles were sold in Denmark in 1942.

Is it dangerous to have a calendar candle in a Christmas decoration?

The closer you get to Christmas Eve, the more dried out the fir in the decoration becomes, so the DBI recommends using flame-retardant spray on the decoration and never leaving lit candles unattended.

Hvad er forskellen på kalenderlys og adventskrans?

Kalenderlyset tæller dagene fra 1. december til juleaften med tal på selve lyset, mens adventskransen har fire lys, hvor man tænder et nyt for hver søndag i advent.

Summary

Kalenderlyset giver december en enkel, daglig rutine: tænd det, se det brænde ned til dagens tal, og sluk igen, hver dag fra 1. december til juleaften. Uanset om det står i en lysestage eller i en juledekoration med gran, er det værd at holde øje med flammen og følge brandrådene fra DBI og Beredskabsstyrelsen, så traditionen forbliver hyggelig hele vejen til den 24. december.

Read also

• What is Advent? Meaning, dates and traditions
• Advent decoration: wreath, advent candle holder or candlesticks
• Stearinlys guide: Typer, størrelser og brændetid
• Hvorfor oser og dripper stearinlys, og hvad gør du?
• Hvordan fjerner du stearin fra dug, lysestage og bord?
• Kyndelmisse: Hvad er det, og hvorfor fejrer vi lyset?
• Luciaoptog: Hvornår er luciadag, og hvorfor fejrer vi den
• Helligtrekonger: dato, lys og traditioner