Advent and the Christmas story

Often hope, peace, joy, love

In many churches the four candles stand for hope, peace, joy and love, with one more lit each Sunday of Advent, the season of getting ready for Christmas that begins November 29 in 2026. Names and colors vary by church. Catholic wreaths usually have three purple candles and a rose one for the third Sunday, and some Protestant churches use blue candles, change the order or add a white Christ candle in the center.

When are the Sundays of Advent in 2026? November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20.

The Bible doesn't say

Matthew says only "wise men from the east" and lists their three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Three is tradition, likely taken from the gifts, and the names Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar came centuries later. As for when, Matthew has them find "the young child" in "the house," some time after the birth, and he doesn't say how long.

When did the wise men come? Matthew gives no date. They find a young child in a house, and Herod's order later reached children two and under, so the visit may have come well after the birth. Many churches remember it at Epiphany, January 6.

Christmas Eve or Christmas morning

Many families leave the manger empty through Advent and lay the baby in on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, often with the children watching. Many also hold the wise men back and move them in for Epiphany. It's a custom and not a church rule, so a set with the baby in it all season is fine.

Who made the first Nativity scene? St. Francis of Assisi is credited with it, for Christmas Eve of 1223 at Greccio, Italy.

December 25 to January 5

The Twelve Days begin on Christmas Day and run through January 5, the day before Epiphany. Counting differs a little by church. United Methodists, for one, describe thirteen days, from sunset on Christmas Eve through January 6.

What is Twelfth Night? The evening that closes the Twelve Days, January 5 for churches that count from Christmas Day. Some traditions keep it January 6.

January 6, or Sunday, January 3

Epiphany is January 6, a Tuesday in 2026 and a Wednesday in 2027, when Western churches remember the wise men reaching the Christ Child. Most US Catholic dioceses keep it on the Sunday between January 2 and 8, which was January 4 in 2026 and is January 3 in 2027. Orthodox churches keep it as Theophany, with the focus on Jesus' baptism, and those on the old calendar mark it January 19.

What does the word mean? It comes from a Greek word for a shining forth or appearance. Orthodox churches often call the feast Theophany.

Luke 2:14, then say thanks

Open with the angels, then say thanks in your own words: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Lord, there was no room at the inn, and there is room at this table. Thank you for this food and for everyone who got here. Bless the ones we wish were with us. Amen."

Is there a shorter one? "Lord, thank you for this table and everyone at it. Amen." Nobody has ever complained about a short grace.

Yes, and Sunday still counts

Yes. Christmas is a holy day of obligation for US Catholics every year, whatever day it falls on. In 2026 that means Mass on Friday, December 25, or the evening of Thursday, December 24, and a separate Mass for Sunday, December 27, or the evening of Saturday, December 26.

Does Christmas Eve Mass count? Yes. A Mass on the evening before the feast meets the obligation, so Thursday evening counts for Christmas in 2026.