Ribbons during Advent 2026
A new volume, a new Psalter cycle, and from 17 December a week that follows the calendar date rather than the day of the week.
Advent 2026 begins on Sunday, November 29, 2026, the First Sunday of Advent, and runs to December 24, 2026. Put away the Ordinary Time volume, open Volume I (Advent and Christmas), and set the Psalter ribbon to Week I.
The First Sunday of Advent is the start of the liturgical year and one of the four points at which the four-week Psalter starts again from Week I. It is also the day the breviary changes volume, so it is the Sunday when the most ribbons move at once.
The four weeks of Advent 2026
| Dates | Week | Psalter | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 29 to Dec 5 | First Week of Advent | Week I | |
| Dec 6 to Dec 12 | Second Week of Advent | Week II | |
| Dec 13 to Dec 19 | Third Week of Advent | Week III | Gaudete Sunday, rose is an option. |
| Dec 20 to Dec 24 | Fourth Week of Advent | Week IV |
Setting the ribbons on the First Sunday
- Volume. Volume I (Advent and Christmas) carries the whole season.
- Psalter. Week I, Sunday. The cycle then runs Week I, II, III, IV, one per week of Advent.
- Proper of Seasons. The beginning of Advent, at the front of the volume. In Advent it carries the proper texts for every day, not just Sundays, so this ribbon moves daily.
- Proper of Saints. Set to the calendar date. Advent has a few feasts and memorials, listed below.
- Night Prayer. Unchanged: the one-week cycle carries on as always.
Feasts and memorials in Advent 2026
Computed from the United States calendar. A Sunday of Advent outranks any feast that falls on it.
| Date | Celebration | Which section leads |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Nov 30 | St. Andrew, Apostle, feast | Proper of Saints |
| Thu Dec 3 | St. Francis Xavier, memorial | Proper of Saints |
| Fri Dec 4 | St. John Damascene, optional memorial | Your choice: the Advent weekday, or the Proper of Saints |
| Mon Dec 7 | St. Ambrose, memorial | Proper of Saints |
| Tue Dec 8 | The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, solemnity | Proper of Saints |
| Wed Dec 9 | St. Juan Diego, optional memorial | Your choice: the Advent weekday, or the Proper of Saints |
| Thu Dec 10 | Our Lady of Loreto, optional memorial | Your choice: the Advent weekday, or the Proper of Saints |
| Fri Dec 11 | St. Damasus I, optional memorial | Your choice: the Advent weekday, or the Proper of Saints |
| Sat Dec 12 | Our Lady of Guadalupe, feast | Proper of Saints |
| Mon Dec 14 | St. John of the Cross, memorial | Proper of Saints |
| Mon Dec 21 | St. Peter Canisius, commemoration only | Proper of Seasons (late Advent) |
| Wed Dec 23 | St. John of Kanty, commemoration only | Proper of Seasons (late Advent) |
From December 17: late Advent
From 17 to 24 December the Proper of Seasons is used by calendar date rather than by the day of the week, so look for the section headed with the date. Memorials falling in these days are reduced to a commemoration: the weekday office is used, and the saint may be honored with an added antiphon and prayer. The daily guide flags each of these days. The Psalter keeps its usual weekly count.
Then Christmas. On December 25, 2026 the Christmas season begins, still in Volume I. What the ribbons do in the Christmas Octave.
Common questions
When does Advent 2026 begin?
On Sunday, November 29, 2026, the First Sunday of Advent. Evening Prayer I of that Sunday is prayed the evening before. Advent ends on December 24, 2026.
Which volume of the Liturgy of the Hours is used in Advent?
Volume I, Advent and Christmas. It stays in use through the Christmas season until the Baptism of the Lord.
What Psalter week is the First Sunday of Advent?
Week I. The First Sunday of Advent is one of the four points where the four-week Psalter starts again, with the First Sunday in Ordinary Time, the First Sunday of Lent and Easter Sunday.
What changes on 17 December?
The Proper of Seasons is followed by calendar date rather than by weekday, and any memorial is reduced to a commemoration. The weekday office is used, and the saint may be honored with an added antiphon and prayer.
Is rose used on the Third Sunday of Advent?
It may be. Gaudete Sunday allows rose in place of violet. It does not change where the ribbons go.