Calendar for December from Book of Hours LUL MS F.2.8

Advent (from the Latin adventus, ‘coming’), is the period of preparation leading up to Christmas. This year the whole of Advent,  including four Advent Sundays, falls within December so our posts this month explore Advent associations in Special Collections & Archives, linked to the Advent calendar on our website.

The first Sunday in Advent (the nearest Sunday to St  Andrew’s Day, 30 November) is the beginning of the Christian church year.

In the 5th century, Advent began on St Martin’s Day – November 11 – shown in blue in this calendar from a Medieval Book of Hours. The date is not given as the 11th but in a version of the Roman system of Kalens (1st), Nones, and Ides  – so as November 15 (Ides) minus four days.