When does Christmastide start?
November 1st? 26 December?
Happy December 1st. Here in Denmark, this marks the start of the secular season of advent. Today, the countdown devices to Christmas start. My wife and I have an advent calendar for our dog where she gets a treat every day. We also have an advent candle that you are supposed to burn bit by bit until Christmas.
Sunrise today was at 8:17 and sunset will be at 15:45. In those few hours of daylight, the sky is steel gray and it never gets bright. We also have a wintery mix today. Because of this, light, especially from candles, is extremely important in Denmark. It is part of the Danish idea of hygge — think warm, cute, and comfortable.
Other dates for the start of Christmastide
While today is one marker of the start of the Christmas season, there are several other starts to the season. From earliest to latest (in 2021) here they are.
Allhallowtide (1 November)
All Saints Day, or the day after Halloween, is, in a way, the earliest start to Christmastide. On that day, stores put away their Halloween decorations and displays and prepare for the Christmas shopping season. This is especially pronounced here in Denmark where American Thanksgiving does not exist to be a buffer between Halloween and Christmas.
J-Day (5 November)
In Denmark, breweries release a special seasonal beer for Christmas (Julebryg or Juleøl). Tuborg, one of the larger breweries, has turned the day they release their Julebryg into a holiday. On the first Friday of November at 20:59, the beer is released to be sold and employees of the company head into Copenhagen to hand out free beer and Tuborg-branded paraphernalia.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” (17 November)
Most Christmas music is old. The majority of what gets played on the radio in the US is was popular when my grandparents were young, think Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, etc., with a spike in the 1980s. One of the only entries into the Christmas music canon that was released in my lifetime is “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey.
On 17 November, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” crosses the post-Christmas slump search threshold and then stays above it until the crash.
Interestingly, This is not reflected in the Billboard Charts until the next week. This is probably due to radio stations weaving in some Christmas music before Black Friday but waiting till after Thanksgiving to switch to their winter format.
Black Friday/Weekend/Week (26 November)
While American Thanksgiving has not come to Denmark, our consumeristic holiday has. When I sold Christmas trees in Jr High and High School, the first Christmas tree selling day was the 27th. That is the same day that my wife and I got ours this year.
First Sunday of Advent (28 November)
In almost all western Christan churches, the liturgical season of Advent starts 4 Sundays before Christmas. This is the time where Christians are supposed to prepare for Christmas; think of it as a happy lent. On each of the four Sundays, an additional candle of the advent wreath is lit and a particular reading is read.
Two Weeks Before Christmas (12 December)
Growing up, two to three weeks before Christmas is when my family would buy our Christmas tree and decorate it.
Christmas Day (26 December)
The liturgical season Christmastide starts on Christmas Day and goes until Epiphany (13 days after Christmas). In some churches, it goes until Candlemas (40 days after Christmas). Because of this, Christmas carols are not traditionally sung in church before Christmas Day or Christmas Eve.
Here are the possible days for the start of the Christmas season laid out on a calendar.
