St. Andrew Christmas Novena: How to Pray It Through Advent

The St. Andrew Christmas Novena is a short traditional prayer that Catholics say fifteen times a day, starting on the feast of St. Andrew on November 30 and ending on Christmas Eve. It takes only a few minutes a day, it fits around work and school, and it gives Advent a steady rhythm of quiet waiting. Here’s the prayer, how the days work, and simple ways to keep count so you finish strong on December 24.

What the St. Andrew Christmas Novena is

Despite the name, this devotion isn’t nine days long. A classic novena is nine days of prayer, but the St. Andrew Christmas prayer runs from November 30 until Christmas Eve, which is 25 days in all. Many people still call it a novena because it’s a set period of prayer leading up to a feast, in this case the birth of Jesus.

It’s named for its starting day, the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. Andrew was a fisherman and the brother of Simon Peter, and the Gospel of John tells how he brought his brother to meet Jesus (John 1:40-42). Starting a Christmas prayer on his feast is a nice reminder of what Andrew did first: he went and told someone.

The prayer itself is a traditional prayer in the public domain. It isn’t an official liturgical text, and it isn’t required. It’s a private devotion many families, parishes and prayer groups love, and you’re free to adapt how you pray it.

The St. Andrew Christmas prayer

Here is the prayer in its traditional wording:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

Two words trip people up. “Vouchsafe” means “graciously grant.” “In piercing cold” is a traditional detail of the nativity scene, not a quote from the Gospels. Saying it slowly a few times on the first day makes the rest of the month much easier.

Many people pray for one particular intention through all 25 days. Others add a new intention each day, or pray for a different person each week. If you aren’t sure what to pray for, praying that your family will be ready to welcome Christ at Christmas is a fine place to start.

How to pray it fifteen times a day

Fifteen times sounds like a lot until you try it. The prayer takes well under a minute, so the whole day’s prayers fit into a few minutes. The bigger challenge is remembering, and keeping count.

Here are three ways people make it work:

• All at once. Pray all fifteen in one sitting, morning or night. It’s simple, and it works well for people with a set prayer time.
• Three groups of five. Pray five in the morning, five at midday and five at night. This spreads the prayer through the day the way the Angelus does.
• Tied to daily moments. Pray a few before each meal, in the car line or on a walk. Good for busy parents.

To keep count, some people use rosary beads (one decade plus five beads gets you to fifteen), a knotted string, or tally marks on a sticky note. A printed tracker is the easiest for families, because everyone can see where you are.

A printable St. Andrew Christmas Novena tracker

Our St. Andrew Christmas Novena Tracker is built for this exact devotion. It has the prayer in large print with simple steps, and a 25-day tracker from November 30 to December 24 with fifteen circles for each day, grouped in fives so you can spread the prayers through the day. Fill in one circle each time you pray.

The tracker is dated for Advent 2026, with Sundays and feast days shaded. There’s an intentions page with room to write who and what you’re praying for, plus a place to look back on Christmas Day. Six cut-apart prayer cards fit in a wallet, a car or the edge of a mirror, so you can pray away from home too.

It’s 4 pages in US Letter and A4, in color and an ink-friendly version. Print it before November 30 and put the tracker somewhere you’ll see it every day.

Praying it as a family, class or parish group

The St. Andrew prayer is short enough for kids to learn, and the counting makes it feel like a shared project.

At home: Pray five together at dinner and let each person add their own five during the day. Younger children can color in the circles. Put the tracker next to your Advent wreath so the two traditions go together.

In a classroom or religious ed class: Pray it together at the start of class and let students take turns filling in the tracker. Hand out the prayer cards so kids can pray at home, too.

With a parish group: Many prayer groups and ministries pray it together as an Advent intention. Each member prays on their own and the group checks in weekly. Check with your parish if you’d like to share it more widely.

The tracker’s license covers personal and family use, or one classroom or parish group.

If you miss a day (or start late)

This is a private devotion, so there’s no penalty for a missed day. If you forget, many people simply pick up the next day, or say the missed prayers along with the new day’s. If you discover the novena on December 5, you can still start. The point is prayer and preparation, not a perfect score.

If you have questions about devotions and how they fit into your prayer life, your pastor or parish staff are always the best people to ask.

Pairing it with other Advent traditions

The St. Andrew prayer pairs well with an Advent reading plan or a daily family tradition. Our guide to Advent activities for Catholic families walks through Advent week by week, from the wreath to the feast days. If your family already prays the Rosary, our step-by-step guide to praying the Rosary is a good refresher.

For a nightly Scripture habit, the Catholic Advent Scripture Countdown follows the nativity story one card at a time from December 1 to 24. Families who like a hands-on project often add the Jesse Tree Advent Kit.

FAQ

When does the St. Andrew Christmas Novena start and end?

It starts on November 30, the feast of St. Andrew, and ends on December 24, Christmas Eve. That’s 25 days.

How many times a day do you say the St. Andrew prayer?

Traditionally, fifteen times a day. You can pray them all at once or spread them through the day.

Is the St. Andrew Christmas Novena really a novena?

Not in the strict nine-day sense. It’s called a novena because it’s a set period of prayer leading up to a feast.

What if I start late or miss a day?

Just pick up where you are. It’s a private devotion, so start whenever you find it and keep going until Christmas Eve.

Is the tracker dated?

Yes. The tracker runs from November 30 to December 24, 2026, with Sundays and feast days shaded.