Period leading up to Christmas (6)

I believe the answer is:

advent

(Other definitions for advent that I've seen before include "Run-up to Christmas" , "Pre-Christmas period" , "when the Christmas shopping has to be done?" , "Arrival of important person or event" , "introduction" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian and The Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.