An Advent Table with ferm LIVING: Mura Candle and Star Calendar

December in a Danish home is counted in two rhythms at once: a candle that burns down a little every day, and a ring of four that gains one more flame each Sunday. This guide shows how to build a calm Advent table around both, using ferm LIVING's Mura and Stala candles and the Star Christmas Calendar, and how to keep the whole arrangement safe through the month.

Two Danish countdowns, one table

The kalenderlys, or calendar candle, is a tall candle marked with the numbers 1 to 24. From the first of December it is lit each day and allowed to burn down to the next mark, so the remaining height shows how many days are left until Christmas Eve. It is a quiet ritual, usually kept for breakfast or the dark late afternoon, and in many Danish homes it is as much a part of the season as the tree.

Advent runs to a different clock. It covers the four Sundays before Christmas, and on each Sunday one more candle is lit: one on the first, two on the second, and all four on the last. In 2026 the first Sunday of Advent falls on 29 November, so the Advent ring is already in use a few days before the calendar candle begins.

The two traditions sit happily together. One marks the days, the other marks the weeks, and a table that holds both gives the whole month a visible shape.

ferm LIVING, the Copenhagen studio founded by Trine Andersen in 2005, has designed pieces for each part of that routine. Its Christmas pieces follow the same muted, earthy palette as the rest of its home range, which makes them easy to combine with what is already on the table.

The calendar candle: Mura Advent Candle

The Mura Advent Candle takes the classic kalenderlys and gives it a deliberately uneven surface. Its name comes from the Japanese word mura, meaning irregularity, and the numbers are hand-rolled and embossed rather than printed, so no two candles look exactly alike. That slight variation is part of the design, not a flaw.

It is made from pure stearin, stands 25 cm tall with a diameter of 5 cm, and burns for approximately 50 hours in total. The candle carries the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Five colours are available: Oat, Ash Brown, Artichoke Green, Dark Grape and Orchid.

Choosing a colour is mostly a question of what surrounds it. Oat is the softest and sits well on pale oak or linen. Ash Brown and Artichoke Green read as natural tones and suit darker wood or stoneware. Dark Grape and Orchid are the colours to pick if the calendar candle should be the one point of colour on an otherwise neutral table.

In daily use, the trick is to watch the marks rather than the clock. Light it, let it burn to the next number, and put it out with a snuffer or by dipping the wick into the melted stearin. Trim the wick to a maximum of 1 cm before each lighting and keep the candle away from draughts and heat sources, which helps stearin burn evenly and keeps the numbers readable as the candle shortens.

Arranging the Stala Candle Ring for four Sundays

A traditional Advent wreath needs four separate candles and a ring of greenery to hold them. The Stala Candle Ring combines both in one object. Its flowing curves and four peaks are modelled on natural stalagmites, and each peak carries its own wick, so the ring itself becomes the four Advent candles.

Stala is cast in paraffin wax, measures 20 cm across and 14 cm high, and burns for approximately 20 hours. It comes in Sand and Dark Grape. Even unlit, the shape works as a sculptural centrepiece, which matters on the weekdays between Sundays when it simply sits on the table.

To set it up for Advent:

1. Place the ring on a flat, stable tray or plate. This protects the table and catches any wax that runs down the curves.
2. Choose one peak as the first Sunday and work around the ring in one direction, so the burn pattern reads clearly as the weeks pass.
3. On the first Sunday, light only that peak. On the second, light it again together with the next one, and so on until all four burn on the fourth Sunday.
4. Trim each wick to a maximum of 1 cm before lighting, and keep the ring away from draughts and heat.

Because the first peak is lit every Sunday, it will burn lower than the last. That stepped profile is exactly what happens with any four-candle Advent arrangement, and on Stala it turns the ring into a record of the month.

If you prefer separate candles, the Mura Candles, Set of 4 are a natural alternative. These pure stearin tapers stand 30 cm tall with a 2 cm diameter, burn for approximately 11 hours each and share the textured, gravelled surface of the Mura Advent Candle. They come in Light Beige or Mixed and carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Set in four matching holders in a row or a loose square, they give a taller, more vertical version of the same weekly rhythm.

A calendar on the wall: Star Christmas Calendar

The candles hold the table; the Star Christmas Calendar takes the countdown to the wall. It is shaped like a printed canvas house, its facade dotted with stars and 24 small pockets, one for each day of December. Each pocket holds a small daily treat or a folded note leading up to Christmas Eve.

The calendar is made from woven cotton chambray, measures around 50 x 100 cm and weighs 0.6 kg, so it hangs flat on a single hook or nail. It comes in Sand and Dark Green. Sand ties in with Oat or Light Beige candles; Dark Green gives a deeper contrast and pairs well with Artichoke Green or Dark Grape.

Hang it near the table rather than in a hallway. When the calendar candle and the pockets are opened at the same moment each morning, the two countdowns become one small daily ritual. Because it is textile, it can be folded and stored after Christmas and brought out again the following year.

Putting the table together, safely

A good Advent table has a centre and an edge. Put Stala, or the row of Mura tapers, in the middle on its tray. Place the Mura Advent Candle slightly off centre on its own plate or holder, where it is easy to reach every day without moving the ring. Keep the palette tight: two colours from the same range, plus natural materials such as wood, linen and a few sprigs of greenery, will look more considered than many competing tones.

Leave space between the flames and anything that can catch. Dried branches, paper decorations and napkins should sit well clear of the wicks, and the candles should stand at least a hand's width apart so the heat of one does not soften the next.

• Never leave burning candles unattended, and put them out before leaving the room.
• Keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
• Trim wicks to a maximum of 1 cm before each use.
• Keep candles away from draughts, radiators and other heat sources.
• Always use a heat-resistant base under the ring and the calendar candle.

For more detail on how stearin behaves, including wick trimming and avoiding drips, read our guide on how to burn stearin candles. To add ornaments, garlands and other seasonal pieces to the same table, explore the full Christmas collection.