December 15, 2025 by Sophia Karrel (‘29)
Today, Advent calendars are a staple of the holiday season, appearing everywhere from grocery stores to luxury boutiques. What began as a simple Christmas countdown has transformed into a billion-dollar industry. But how exactly did this modest practice become a global commercial phenomenon?
Despite their notable role in the Christmas season today, Advent calendars came from humble beginnings. A popular legend claims that the first Advent calendar was formed by a housewife from Munich, Germany. Supposedly, the woman was exhausted by her children’s constant battering of how many days remained until Christmas. Early traces also date back to the early 19th century when German Protestants would use various homemade countdown methods for Christmas. These included chalk marks, candles, and hanging pictures.
Advent calendars continued to slowly popularize when in 1902-1903 they were commercialized and consequentially boomed. While the man to do this is contested, it is believed that either Gerhard Lang or a publisher based in Hamburg printed the first commercialized calendar. Whether or not Gerhard Lang was the first to capitalize on the Advent calendar’s popularity, it was Lang who turned the signature compartments on calendars into common use. Behind each door it would be common to find a picture or Bible verse. Gerhard Lang had obtained this idea from his early childhood when his mother would attach 24 cookies to a piece of cardboard, allowing him to eat one per day.
The journey for Advent calendars hasn’t always been smooth. During World War I, the production of Advent calendars was paused due to paper shortages, which suppressed the industry. In the 1920’s German companies began experimenting with chocolate calendars, but these were a rare luxury item. This was shortly lived as Advent calendars faced further adversity during World War II. Nazi regulations banned religious imagery and restricted paper use which halted most production. The industry boomed after the war and by the 1970’s chocolate calendars were being mass produced.
In the past 20 years the Advent calendar market has completely changed. From brands like Prada and Louboutin to Pura Vida and LEGO, Advent calendars can be found everywhere and in every type of product, not just candies. While brands’ capitalization on this market has only increased, there are still many religious and traditional Advent calendars. Across the world, Christians participate in Advent calendars containing Scriptures or aspects of the journey to Bethlehem. Regardless of whether your Advent calendar is LEGOs or used for religious purposes, Advent calendars can be a fun way to celebrate the Christmas season!
Sources:
Advent calendar | History, Chocolate, Makeup, Kids, Adults, & Facts | Britannica