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- Considered a season of light in the dark apex of winter, Advent is symbolized in the church by a candlelit evergreen wreath. In 1838 Johann Wichern, a German Lutheran pastor, began using this wreath to help his congregation count down the days until Christmas.
www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/advent-is-a-season-of-candlelight-reflection-and-expectationWhat is Advent—and why do we mark it with treat-filled calendars?
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Sep 7, 2020 · Advent is a period of spiritual preparation in which many Christians make themselves ready for the coming, or birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Celebrating Advent typically involves a season of prayer, fasting, and repentance, followed by anticipation, hope, and joy.
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- Overview
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- Advent calendars
The holiday, which gets its name from the Latin word for arrival, serves as a countdown to Christmas when Christians honor the birth of Jesus Christ.
During the darkest days of winter, Christians prepare for one of their religion’s most important holidays during the season of Advent. Lasting roughly four weeks, it’s a season of candlelight, reflection, and expectation—a chance to get ready for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Advent gets its name from adventus, the Latin word for “arrival.” As the Christian church solidified in the fifth century A.D., so did traditions around December 25. Historians have tracked the first formal Advent celebrations to northern Italy, where churchgoers observed a weeks-long preparation for Christmas that involved fasting, prayer, and reflection on Christian values.
Eventually, that preparation became known as Advent. By the sixth century, Christians in France celebrated a five-week “St. Martin’s Lent” that included fasts and abstaining from sexual intercourse leading up to Christmas.
Advent is now considered the first season of the liturgical year, the church’s annual cycle of feast days and Scripture readings. Much like their ancestors, modern Christians see it as a season of preparation in honor of Christ. Advent is celebrated on four consecutive Sundays, beginning on the Sunday closest to November 30 and ending on December 24, Christmas Eve.
Each Sunday has a traditional meaning and prayers and readings assigned to it; they represent, in order, the Christian virtues of love, joy, hope, and peace. For believers, Advent represents a multi-faceted period during which to prepare for the birth of Christ, celebrate faith in and conversion to Christianity, and anticipate the eventual resurrection of the son of God.
Considered a season of light in the dark apex of winter, Advent is symbolized in the church by a candlelit evergreen wreath. In 1838 Johann Wichern, a German Lutheran pastor, began using this wreath to help his congregation count down the days until Christmas. (The surprising history of Christmas trees—a tradition that likely also took root in Germany.)
The modern Advent wreath has four candles. The first two and the fourth are purple, Advent’s traditional color. The third candle is pink, representing the halfway point of Advent and the joy of the coming holiday.
Another German Advent tradition is the Advent calendar. During the 19th century, adults began helping children count down the days until Christmas. Beginning on December 1, some German Lutherans made chalk marks on doors in anticipation of the entry of the Christ child, and other parents created homemade ways to count down involving snacks and Bible verses.
In 1908 German printer Gerhard Lang produced the first printed Advent calendar. In his childhood, his mother had handcrafted a calendar with cardboard doors and candy inside. Lang adapted the idea for the printing press, and his wares became extremely popular in Germany. But World War II-related shortages and Nazi Germany’s secular rebranding of Christmas almost killed off the printed Advent calendar.
After the war, another German printer, Richard Sellmer, obtained permission from American occupying forces to print a 1946 Advent calendar. He used his contacts with Americans to introduce the Advent calendar in the United States, and with the help of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was photographed opening one with his grandchildren in 1953, they became increasingly popular in the U.S.
Even though Advent technically begins in late November, modern Advent calendars typically start on December 1 and have small doors or boxes containing pictures, trinkets, or food like chocolate to be opened and consumed in the leadup to Christmas. Retailers have invested big in the Advent calendar game, and consumers can choose Advent calendars centered around beauty, popular characters, or even consumption.
Like other Christmas traditions, Advent calendars became increasingly secularized in the 20th and 21st centuries. But its traditions remain a fun way for both kids and adults to ramp up Christmas delight during a dark, wintry month.
Editor's note: This story was originally published on November 29, 2021. It has been updated.
Dec 6, 2019 · Advent is about returning our gaze to the Light of Christ. It’s about allowing that Light to fill us and change us. It’s even about allowing the darkness around us to bring our gaze back to Him — darkness has a way of helping us to focus on the Light. The “darkness” of advent is meant to help us return our gaze to the Light of the World.
Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity.
Apr 25, 2024 · Advent, in the Christian church calendar, the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. In many countries it is marked by a variety of popular observances, such as the lighting of Advent candles.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Nov 13, 2023 · For many, it is a time marked by the lighting of candles, the joy of cherished traditions, and the vibrant chords of carols that herald the birth of a child in...
Dec 11, 2023 · Lighting of Candles: The lighting of the candles is an important tradition during Advent. Each week, an additional candle is lit to symbolize the increasing anticipation and preparation for the arrival of Jesus. The light from the candles represents the light of Christ coming into the world. The Advent Candles Symbolism.
