French villages become living Advent calendars with different doors opening each day to give out treats

Advent calendars are used in many households to count down the days until Christmas. But the tradition has been taken one step further in some French villages – with entire communities turning themselves into real-life Advent calendars.

Known as ‘Advent windows’, the idea sees local residents volunteer to decorate their door or a window for a specific date in December. On their chosen day, they open it at a set time, welcoming those gathered outside with warm drinks and homemade treats.

Sweets and biscuits are common, but visitors might also be offered waffles, fruit cake or other festive bakes, served alongside vin chaud, hot chocolate, soup or apple juice.

As dusk falls, people gather outside to chat, share food and enjoy the lights before the door closes again an hour or two later – until the next window opens the following day.

The tradition originated in Switzerland but is increasingly crossing the border into France, bringing with it a simple, communal way to mark the countdown to Christmas

Fenêtres de l’Avent

In Saint-Seine-en-Bâche (near Dole in Côte d’Or) the Fenêtres de l’Avent (Advent Windows) are already an established tradition. 

Jean-François (69) and Jacqueline (65) Webber moved to the village from Vionnaz in their native Switzerland in 2014 and have been running the event for around eight years.

“People were a bit surprised at first because it is a Swiss thing,” says Jean-François. “They were very happy about it though; it worked well right from the beginning.”

“With a population of around 400 people, there are not enough inhabitants here to do it for all 24 days of Advent, but we have enough volunteers to do it on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays of Advent. 

In the autumn we go round putting notices in all the letterboxes, explaining the idea and asking for volunteers. Sometimes two or three houses team up to offer a window together. Anywhere between 25 and 50 people turn up at each event. 

This year, it ran on three weekends, over December 5, 6, 7 and 11, 12, 13, plus 19, 20, and 21.”

If the weather is inclement, people take shelter in the garage, barn, courtyard, or on a terrace. Sometimes people put up a temporary shelter. 

“Our Association organises who will do what on which date and we do a little map showing the windows.” He says the events build community and create an opportunity to get out of the house. 

“Here, in the winter people do not go out much so it gives people a chance to go out and meet their neighbours, talk to people. It is very convivial.” 

The scheme also includes nearby villages and hamlets which are close enough to walk to. “We all walk there together because that is part of it, and we always try to have somewhere to walk to for the last one.”

A community-led Advent festival in Alsace

In Alsace, the tradition is even more established, and one of the largest events is the Festival les Fenêtres de l’Avent in Uffholtz, Haut-Rhin, which runs from December 1 to 24, 2025. 

Rather than being a simple exchange between neighbours, however, it is a full-blown street theatre festival with performances of music, circus and fun every evening. The neighbourly aspect still remains, with refreshments and a programme of events.

Founded in 2001 as a response to the horror of 9/11, it began as a peripatetic festival, moving to a different location every evening. 

In 2016, performances were all shifted to the courtyard of the Foyer Saint-Erasme. 

Shows are all free, and although professional companies take to the stage at the weekends, the weeknights are open to amateurs. 

The proceedings are orchestrated by a character called ‘Le Grelottin’, whose job it is to greet the general public, announce the shows, and create a good atmosphere. 

Behind the scenes, around 100 volunteers prepare food, sweep floors, set out and tidy up benches and tables, welcome troupes and set up the shows. 

For more information, see organiser website (in French only).