Advent Sunday
First Sunday of Advent
The Traditional Countdown to Christmas
About Advent Sunday
Advent Sunday marks another official kickoff to the Christmas countdown (the first was Little Advent, but not everyone celebrates that). Advent Sunday blends spiritual anticipation with festive preparation. It’s the day families light the first Advent candle, open the first little door on the calendar, and finally give Christmas music permission to take over the airwaves. It also happens to be St. Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national feast day, adding a touch of tartan pride—and a splash of whiskey—to the mix. While Advent begins a deeply meaningful season of reflection and joy, St. Andrew’s Day reminds us how different cultures can enrich our holiday traditions, layering new flavors onto old customs. (If only someone wrote a book about that.) So light a candle, raise a glass, and lean into the day’s warm spirit. The season has officially begun—again!
Ways to observe
(A) Low effort
Light the first candle of an Advent wreath or calendar, pausing to reflect on the joy and anticipation of the season.
(B) Recommended
Set up your Advent calendar and wreath, enjoying the first day’s treat or moment of reflection. Pair it with a Scottish-inspired meal or snack and play some traditional music to blend the festive and cultural elements of the day.
(C) High effort
Host an Advent Sunday dinner with a nod to both Christmas and St. Andrew’s Day. Incorporate Scottish dishes like haggis, neeps, and tatties, alongside traditional Advent elements like a wreath centerpiece or Christmas pudding for dessert.
Inspiration
Here’s a pro tip for rising Christmas zealots: Get yourself four giant candles, one for each Sunday before Christmas, and light them with the solemnity of an Olympic torch ceremony. If done properly, nearby adults will feel vaguely concerned about your intensity (good), and children will be spellbound (better). Advent is about building momentum, week by week, candle by brilliant candle. The tradition of Advent dates back to the 4th century, when Christians in Spain and Gaul prepared for Epiphany with weeks of fasting and reflection. Over time, it shifted toward Christmas itself, gaining candles, wreaths, and an air of expectant joy. Today, the Advent wreath—with its four candles symbolizing hope, peace, joy, and love—is a staple of the season’s spiritual rhythm. And for those who prefer chocolate to contemplation, the 19th-century Germans gifted the world the Advent calendar, originally just windows with little pictures, now often massive countdown fortresses stuffed with toys and treats. (More advice for rising zealots: get the deluxe Advent calendar. You won’t regret it.) Meanwhile, St. Andrew’s Day (November 30) brings a Scottish flair to the day. A disciple, a martyr, and eventually Scotland’s patron saint, Andrew is honored with feasts and ceilidh dancing. Consider it a preview of Burns Night (Day 86), when ceremonial artistry reaches its highest form. Side note for the makers among us: if you dream of hand-tying real candles onto the branches of the tree like it’s 1847, there are two small problems: one, the tree is still undecorated (by decree), and two, you presumably enjoy having a house. So instead, go big on your Advent candles. Skip the dainty fine-dining candles and get something with the heft of a miner’s thermos.
Adornments
Watch
Comfort and Joy (1984)
A quirky Scottish dramedy set in Glasgow just before Christmas. Radio DJ Alan “Dicky” Bird’s holiday season is upended when his girlfriend leaves him, and he inadvertently gets caught in a bizarre feud between rival ice-cream truck families.
Lost at Christmas (2020)
An under-the-radar romantic dramedy set in the Scottish Highlands on Christmas Eve. Two strangers find themselves stranded in a remote village and decide to team up to make it home by Christmas.
Listen
Gabriel’s Message by Performed by Sting
With its haunting melody and lyrics retelling the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, this song captures the awe of Advent’s beginning.
Tàladh Chrìosda (Christ Child’s Lullaby, traditional)
A traditional Scottish Gaelic carol that has been sung at Midnight Mass in the Outer Hebrides for generations. Said to have 29 verses, it imagines the Virgin Mary crooning to the baby Jesus.
Read
God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A collection of prison letters and sermons from theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, composed during WWII and compiled posthumously. It presents Advent through the eyes of a man uncertain of his future.
The Gifts of the Child Christ by George MacDonald
Tucked away in an old collection of Victorian tales is this heartfelt Christmas novella by Scottish author George MacDonald. It centers on a cynical widower and his young daughter; her innocent belief in the Christ Child’s yearly birth rekindles her father’s spirit.