By Mark Roberts @ http://www.markdroberts.com/
If you're relatively unfamiliar with Advent, or if you'd like a brief refresher, here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions. (Note: This is an edited and updated version of a blog post I have put up in previous years.)
What is Advent?
Advent is a season of the Christian year when we focus on the coming of Christ. It's a time of waiting, hoping, and getting in touch with our need for a Savior. It's a season of preparation for Christmas, much as Lent is a season of preparation for Easter. In some Christian churches, Advent is a time of fasting and repentance.
In Advent we look back to the experience of Israelites as they yearned for God to forgive their sin and restore their nation. We put ourselves in their shoes as they hoped for the coming of the Messiah. Thus we ready our hearts to celebrate the good news of Christmas.
Yet Advent is also a time to look forward to the second coming of Christ. Though defeating sin and death through His cross and resurrection, Christ hasn't yet finished His work of renewing creation and restoring the kingdom of God. Thus we continue to experience the brokenness of this world, in violence, disease, natural disasters, and other forms of human suffering. In Advent we yearn for God's completion of the salvation begun in Christ.
What does "Advent" mean?
"Advent" comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "visit" or "coming" or "arrival." The season of Advent is a time to get ready for the two "visits" of Christ: His first coming through the Incarnation, and His second coming as the reigning Lord.
When is Advent?
All Christians who keep Advent do so immediately prior to Christmas. Western Christians (Catholics, Protestants) begin Advent four Sundays before Christmas. Because Christmas falls on various days of the week, Advent ranges from 22 to 28 days (including Christmas Eve). This year (2006) is the shortest possible Advent, since Christmas Day comes on Monday. Technically, in most traditions, Christmas Eve is both the end of Advent and the beginning of Christmas (at sunset).
Eastern Orthodox Christians have a different liturgical calendar. Though they celebrate the nativity of Christ on December 25th, they begin their Advent fast on November 15th. Advent, or the Nativity Fast, for the Orthodox, is a serious season of preparation and self-denial. (For more information on the Eastern Orthodox calendar, check out this excellent Orthodox Church in America website.)
Many of us associate Advent with so-called Advent calendars. Most of these begin with December 1st, so they don't exactly correlate with the season of Advent, the start of which moves a bit from year to year. Most Advent calendars are more secular than spiritual in theme.
Where and when did Advent begin?
For over ten centuries Christians many Christians in Europe have used the time prior to the celebration of Christmas as a season of preparation. Actually, the earliest recognition of Advent was in anticipation of Epiphany (on January 6, when Christians remember Jesus's baptism and/or the visit of the Magi). Historically, Advent was a time, rather like Lent, of fasting and spiritual preparation. The specifics of Advent celebration varied widely throughout Christian history, and at times the season was ignored. But in the last few centuries the basic Advent traditions have become relatively fixed.
Where can I find more historical information on Advent?
I have found the following links to be helpful:
"The History of Advent" from Inter Mirifica
"Advent – Close Encounters of the Liturgical Kind" in Christianity Today
"Advent" in the Catholic Encyclopedia
"The Season of Advent" from The Voice
Why do Christians celebrate Advent?
Christians celebrate Advent for many different reasons. For some, I'm sure, it's a continuation of personal and family traditions. They grew up recognizing Advent, and they still do today, for nostalgic if not spiritual reasons. Others, like me, have come to appreciate Advent in adulthood, since it's not something we grew up with. (I describe my own "discovery" of Advent in this post from 2004 .)
I believe Advent is important because it helps us focus on certain crucial aspects of Christian faith and theology that we easily overlook. For example, apart from Advent, I don't look forward to Christ's second coming very often. Among the personal reasons for keeping Advent, many Christians recognize that a season of preparation and even (gasp!) self-denial enriches both our celebration of Christmas and our relationship with God.
Why do some Christians not celebrate Advent?
Most Christians who don't recognize Advent are unaware of its practices and benefits. This was true for most of my life as a Christian. I expect there are different reasons for this unawareness. Some churches, especially of the evangelical/fundamentalist variety, were once very skittish about anything that seemed too "Catholic." So one could have grown up in a church that celebrated Christmas but neglected Advent completely.
It's important for me to say here that there is no biblical imperative to keep Advent. Nor is there specific biblical teaching on what to do in Advent. This is very much like Christmas, which is also an extra-biblical tradition. Though I believe that Christians can be blessed by keeping Advent, I respect the right of any Christian to choose otherwise. This is not a matter of right and wrong for those of us who are guided primarily by Scripture. Catholic and Orthodox believers are not so free to disregard the tradition of their churches, of course. I must add, however, that we Protestants have much to learn from the wisdom of those who have gone before us. Too often we reject human traditions that God has used for centuries and that can enrich our relationship with Him.
| What are the Advent colors and what do they mean? The primary Advent color is purple (or dark blue). It signifies royalty (the coming birth of the King) and seriousness or penitence. Pink is a secondary Advent color, representing the joy of the season. The green of the Advent wreath signifies life, and especially new life that comes through the Savior. The typical secular colors of Christmas (red, green, white) are not primary Advent colors. Some churches are quite strict about limiting the liturgical colors of Advent to purple and, perhaps, pink. Other churches, like mine, follow a more hybrid option. The focus of our Advent recognition is the wreath, with its purple and pink candles. We also use purple paraments (cloths on the communion table and pulpit). But our sanctuary decorations include some more typical Christmas colors as well. If I want to begin to celebrate Advent, what should I do? Let me point you to a couple of posts from past years. These will help you with some of the specifics of Advent: If you'd like to begin to celebrate Advent, let me point you to a couple of my recent posts (December 3; December 10). Be sure to use the virtual Advent wreath that goes with these posts! Also, you can use my online Advent calendar (at the top of my homepage) to focus your prayers in an Advent direction.
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