ADVENT

Kittelendan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Advent is an important Christian holiday, celebrated annually from the fourth Sunday before Christmas to the day before Christmas. This period of anticipation, reflection and spiritual preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ, is marked by members of many denominations all over the world.

Advent begins with the lighting of the first candle of a four-candle Advent wreath. These four candles commemorate the hope, love, joy, and peace of the season. Each candle is symbolically lit successively on each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas. The candles are traditionally placed in a holder called an Advent wreath. The wreath is usually made of evergreens, symbolizing the everlasting life that was promised to us through Jesus Christ. The candles are placed in the wreath in a circle, symbolizing God's eternal love. As the candles are lit and extinguished, many believers participate in a daily devotional practice that is focused on scripture readings, reflection, prayer and communal worship.

The traditions of Advent vary greatly among churches. Some denominations focus on the themes of repentance, redemption and the second coming of Jesus. Others use Advent as a time to mark the Incarnation, when Jesus was born of a human mother, Mary. Much of the symbolism associated with Advent has to do with the symbolism of light - the candles signifying Jesus, the Light of the World, bringing hope and joy, and with the message of the Nativity, representing God’s love and promise of eternal life.

Though religious practices during Advent may differ slightly from one denomination to the next, the aim of the season is the same throughout — to spiritually prepare oneself and the wider Church for Christ’s arrival. Believers do this in a dedicated and intentional manner through Advent, which encompasses not just daily rituals and nondenominational observance, but also communal worship, mutual spiritual encouragement and scriptural study.

Advent is an important time for reflection, prayer, and spiritual preparation for the great celebration of Christmas. Its four-week long commemoration of Jesus’ birth and second coming, in turn, remind Christians of the power of faith and charity, and spreads a message of hope to usher in the momentous event of Christ’s birth.