1In December 1839, the children at a home in Hamburg, Germany, could not wait for Christmas. The home was run by a pastor named Johann Hinrich Wichern. He took an old wooden wheel and put candles on it. Each day, the children lit one more candle. As the light grew, Christmas came closer.

2This waiting time is called Advent. The name comes from a Latin word that means arrival. For Christians, it is a time to get ready for the birth of Jesus. Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends on December 24. Today, many families put four candles on a ring of green branches. They light one new candle every Sunday.

3The Advent calendar also comes from Germany. At first, some families drew 24 lines with chalk, and children wiped away one line each day. Later, a man named Gerhard Lang began to sell printed calendars. When he was a boy, his mother gave him a small sweet for each day before Christmas. Today, most calendars have 24 little doors, from December 1 to December 24. Behind each door, you may find a picture, a piece of chocolate, or a tiny toy.

4In Japan, Advent calendars have become popular in recent years. Stores sell calendars with tea, toys, and even makeup inside. Japanese programmers have their own kind of Advent calendar too. Every day in December, a different person writes an article on the internet. In 2023, people wrote more than 19,000 articles on one website. Behind these doors, there is no chocolate, only new ideas.