The History of Advent Calendars: From Paper to Chocolate

Advent calendars grew out of nineteenth-century German family customs for counting the days until Christmas. Printed picture calendars followed in the early 1900s, opening doors appeared around 1920, and chocolate-filled versions later helped turn the tradition into a familiar seasonal gift.

Behind today’s decorated boxes is a story of homemade rituals, inventive publishers and the pleasure of discovering one small surprise at a time.

What did families use before printed Advent calendars?

Early countdowns could be remarkably simple. According to calendar publisher Richard Sellmer’s history of the tradition, nineteenth-century Protestant families displayed pictures one by one or let children erase a chalk mark each day. Other customs included placing straw in a crib or burning a marked candle in daily stages.

Who was Gerhard Lang, and what did he change?

Gerhard Lang, a publisher associated with Munich’s Reichhold & Lang, helped develop the printed Advent calendar. The Museum of European Cultures in Berlin’s historical overview (PDF) dates his idea for Im Lande des Christkinds to 1903 and describes a publishing program of more than 30 illustrated designs beginning in 1908.

His early format involved cutting out colorful pictures and pasting them onto a card. Sellmer also recounts a childhood inspiration: Lang’s mother attached small Wibele biscuits to cardboard for him to enjoy during the wait.

When did the little doors appear?

Sellmer dates calendars with doors to around 1920. Opening a flap gave the daily ritual a different kind of suspense: the picture was already there, but hidden. Some religious versions revealed Bible verses instead of pictures.

These stages explain why accounts give different “first calendar” dates: homemade countdowns, printed sheets and opening-door calendars did not arrive together.

How did Advent calendars spread beyond Germany?

Berlin’s museum records calendars appearing in Sweden and Denmark in the 1930s, followed by wider European adoption. Wartime restrictions interrupted picture-calendar printing. After 1945, American occupation soldiers helped introduce the calendars to the United States, while producers increasingly served international buyers.

The museum also describes a gradual shift from picture calendars toward chocolate-filled ones. This was an evolution in what waited behind the paper, rather than the beginning of the countdown itself.

How does that history live on in food-filled calendars?

Compare two modern examples: the Reber Advent Calendar holds German chocolate specialties, while the Lebkuchen Schmidt Advent Calendar 2026 contains 24 individually wrapped baked and gingerbread specialties. The latter is offered for preorder at publication; consult the current listing for ordering details.

Both invite the same simple pleasure: pausing to discover what comes next. When choosing a food-filled calendar, check the current assortment, ingredients and allergens for the person receiving it.

For the practical details of today’s December countdown, see our guide to when to start a German Advent calendar.

What else do people ask about Advent calendar history?

Were the earliest calendars filled with chocolate?

No. Pictures and other ways of marking the passing days preceded the familiar chocolate-filled box.

Did Gerhard Lang invent the entire tradition?

He was an important pioneer of printed calendars. The family countdown customs were older, which is why one inventor and one date cannot tell the whole story.

Are picture-only calendars still part of the tradition?

Yes. Sellmer continues to produce illustrated paper calendars. A daily picture preserves the sense of discovery without requiring an edible filling.