Advent
Advent is a significant season observed in many Christian traditions, marking a four-week period of preparation leading up to Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. The term "Advent" derives from the Latin word "adventus," meaning "coming" or "arrival." This period begins on the Sunday nearest St. Andrew's Day, November 30, and encompasses the four Sundays before Christmas. Historically, Advent was established as a time of ascetic preparation for the feast of the Epiphany but evolved to focus specifically on the anticipation of Christ's Nativity.
Originally, during the Middle Ages, it was common for the faithful to fast during Advent, a practice that is no longer required today. The season encourages believers to reflect on three significant "Comings" of Jesus: the celebration of his birth at Christmas, his return at the Last Judgment, and his continuous presence in daily life. Thus, Advent serves as a time for remembrance, anticipation, and awareness, fostering a deeper spiritual connection for those observing this meaningful period.
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The season of Advent, observed in most Christian churches, is a four-week preparation for the feast of Christmas that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. It begins on the Sunday nearest St. Andrew's Day, November 30, and includes the four Sundays before Christmas.
The word advent is taken from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival.” Christian churches first observed Advent as an ascetic period of preparation for the feast of the Epiphany, which in commemorating the manifestations of Christ's divinity originally celebrated both his birth and his baptism. In the fourth century, however, the Western churches under Rome decided upon December 25 for a separate commemoration of Christ's nativity. Later in the same century the Eastern churches followed suit, introducing the separate observance of the Nativity on December 25.
The observance of the Advent season eventually underwent a corresponding shift in time. Thus, when Advent was first adopted by Rome, probably some time in the sixth century, it was as a season in preparation for Christmas. In the Middle Ages, the faithful fasted during Advent, which was called “the Christmas Lent.” Fasting is no longer required.
Advent is regarded as a season in which the faithful should prepare themselves for the three Comings of Jesus Christ: (1) on December 25, (2) at the Last Judgment, and (3) in their daily life. Therefore, it is a remembrance of the past (the historical event of the first Christmas), an anticipation of the future (the Second Coming at the end of time), and an awareness of the continual coming of Christ in each person's life.
Behrens, Cole. "What Is Advent? Everything to Know About the Christian Season." The Columbus Dispatch, 1 Dec. 2023, www.dispatch.com/story/news/state/2023/12/01/what-is-advent-christian-season-christmas/71766468007/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Treisman, Rachel. "Advent Calendars, Explained: Where They Came from and Why They're Everywhere Now." Public Broadcasting Service, 6 Nov. 2023, www.npr.org/2022/12/11/1141855237/advent-calendar-history-evolution. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.