An Advent calendar full of light: 24 Christmas stories to read, read aloud and give

What’s behind the doors

The stories come from many countries and many times. They are about people who made the waiting easier, the night brighter or a heart warmer for someone else. A few examples, without giving away which door they’re behind:

• how an old cartwheel became the first Advent wreath
• why a farmer in Vermont spent his whole life photographing snowflakes
• why so many people in Iceland spend Christmas Eve with a new book
• how a misprinted phone number means children still follow Father Christmas’s flight on Christmas Eve
• which photo three astronauts took on Christmas Eve 1968 as they circled the Moon
• and how a song, first sung to a guitar in a small church near Salzburg, travelled all around the world

Each story comes with a small question or idea for the day. Most doors tell true events; there are also small wonders of nature and science, customs from around the world and one legend, told clearly as a legend.

Short Christmas stories to read aloud

Because every story is short, it fits into any day: at the breakfast table, in morning assembly or circle time, at an Advent service, at a group for older people or on the phone to Grandma. Many people read them aloud and then talk about the question of the day. You can open the calendar together on a big screen, or each on your own phone.

How to give the Advent calendar

1. Open Give an Advent calendar and enter your name and the name of the person you’re giving it to.
2. If you like, hide your own words behind up to three doors: a greeting, a memory, a thank-you.
3. Send the link by messenger, email or text. Whoever opens it has their own calendar straight away, with no sign-up.

Your words are encrypted. Only the link you send carries the key.

And after Christmas?

After 24 December all 24 doors stay open, so you can read them again. And all year round the same app has a light for every day: a true story that gives you hope, a good anniversary, a small deed for today and the world’s special days.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Advent calendar really free?

Yes. There are no ads, no subscription and nothing to buy. The calendar is part of the app “First Light” by the author Bernd Blasius and of the project “The Humane World Formula”. If you like, you’ll also find his Christmas book about the Christmas Truce of 1914 in the app.

Do I need to sign up?

No. Only your own device remembers which doors you have opened.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes. The stories are short and gently told. Younger children may need help reading, and reading aloud always works.

Can I share it with my class or church?

Of course. Open the door of the day on a big screen or read it aloud, and share the link with everyone who would like to follow along.

Is the calendar also available as an app?

Yes. With Install the app you can put it on the home screen of your Android phone, iPhone or computer in a few taps. First Light isn’t in the App Store: Apple charges a fee every year, even for apps that cost nothing. On an iPhone, First Light still works just like an app: open it in Safari, tap ‘Share’ and choose ‘Add to Home Screen’.

To the Advent calendar

The book: The First to Stand Up

The First to Stand Up – The Christmas Truce of 1914 and the Courage to Leave Our Trenches by Bernd Blasius tells the story of that night from the letters and records of the men who lived it, and asks what it means for the trenches we dig at our own tables.

Read a sampleMore about the book

Order here

Coming soon. The order links will appear here.

In paperback, hardback and as an e-book.

The e-book is also available from Apple Books, Kobo and other shops.

Updated: 8 November 2026