Christmas Advent Calendar Coloring Page: Free PDF Sheet

Advent Calendars and Fun Countdown Facts

Chalk Marks Before Paper Doors

Advent calendars trace back to German Protestant households in the 1800s, where families first marked the days before Christmas with simple chalk lines on a door or wall rather than any printed calendar. The word "advent" itself comes from a Latin term meaning "arrival," referring to the period leading up to Christmas.

Gerhard Lang and the Printed Calendar

German printer Gerhard Lang is generally credited with producing one of the first commercially printed advent calendars around 1908, inspired by a punched-cardboard calendar his mother had made for him as a child. His printed versions with small pictures behind each date helped popularize the format across Europe.

Twenty-Four Days of Counting Down

A standard advent calendar runs from December 1 through December 24, giving exactly twenty-four small doors or windows, one for each day leading up to Christmas Eve. That fixed number is why grid-style advent calendars, including house-shaped ones, are almost always built around rows of doors rather than a random count.

From Candy to Chocolate Squares

Chocolate-filled advent calendars became widely popular in Europe by the 1950s and 1960s, adding a small daily treat to the older tradition of simply revealing a picture. That shift toward a hidden surprise behind each door is part of why later designs, including this one, show small treats tucked behind a few open doors.

House Shapes as a Calendar Design

Framing an advent calendar with a peaked roofline, as shown here, borrows the classic outline of a cozy home or a small chalet, a common shape choice that gives illustrators a natural spot for a chimney, a sprig of holly, or a decorative peak above the grid of doors.