When Is Gaudete Sunday in 2026 and Why Does the Date Change Every Year?

When Is Gaudete Sunday in 2026 and Why Does the Date Change Every Year?

Gaudete Sunday falls on Sunday, December 13, 2026. It is the Third Sunday of Advent, when the Church gives special expression to Christian joy as Christmas draws nearer.

Gaudete Sunday Advent wreath with two violet candles and one rose candle lit, a fourth violet candle unlit, and a priest in rose vestments before a crucifix in a Catholic church.
Gaudete Sunday during Advent, with two violet candles and the rose candle lit on the Advent wreath, a priest wearing rose vestments, and the crucifix of Jesus Christ above the altar, expressing the joyful expectation of Christ’s coming.

Gaudete Sunday changes date because it is tied to the Sundays of Advent rather than to a fixed day in December. Christmas is always December 25, but Advent begins on a Sunday, and the date of that Sunday changes from year to year.

The First Sunday of Advent can occur between November 27 and December 3. Gaudete Sunday comes exactly two weeks later, as the Third Sunday of the season. Therefore, its calendar date also moves.

Gaudete Sunday highlights Christian joy as the coming of the Lord draws near. Advent remains a season of preparation, but this Sunday gives special expression to the joy contained within that waiting.

The name comes from the Latin word Gaudete, meaning “Rejoice.”

In the common four-candle Advent wreath, the third candle is the rose candle. On Gaudete Sunday, two violet candles and the rose candle are lit.

The candle is a devotional symbol rather than the source of the Sunday's meaning. The deeper reason for rejoicing is Christ Himself and the nearness of His coming.

Gaudete Sunday and Laetare Sunday are different and occur in different seasons. Gaudete Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, while Laetare Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

Gaudete Sunday points toward Christmas and the coming of Christ. Laetare Sunday occurs during Lent as the Church continues toward the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus.

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