Advent

Advent, from the Latin adventus meaning “coming,” in the Christian calendar is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and of the preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.  In Western churches, Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30 and always ends on Christmas Eve, December 24.  Advent is the season of hope, peace, joy, and love. It is also the beginning of a new liturgical year. 

It is not known exactly when the celebration or remembrance of Advent began nor is there a credible explanation of its origin.  Throughout the centuries, popes imposed fasting, optional fasting, abstinence, and eventually a proscribed liturgy with collects, Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays preceding Christmas, with special emphasis for these liturgies to be used on Wednesdays and Fridays. 
 
Since the 13th century, the usual liturgical color for Advent has been violet or purple, replaced with black during the time of Pope Innocent III.  More recently, blue has become the accepted color, first used by the Church of Sweden.  Proponents of using blue argue that purple is traditionally associated with solemnity and somberness which is more fitting for the repentant character of Lent.  They feel blue represents a hopeful season of preparation.  While blue is now used widely within the Protestant traditions, the Roman church still uses purple.
 
There are a wide variety of local rites regarding Advent.  In England and other northern countries, there was a custom (now extinct!), for poor women to carry around the “Advent images”, two dolls dressed to represent Jesus and the Virgin Mary.  A halfpenny coin was expected from everyone to whom these were exhibited for good luck, and bad luck was thought to menace those households not visited by the doll-bearers before Christmas Eve.  In Normandy, farmers employed children under twelve to run through the fields and orchards armed with torches, setting fire to bundles of straw.  This was believed to drive out vermin likely to damage the next year’s crops.  In Italy, bagpipers would come into Rome on the last day of Advent and play before the shrines of Mary, recreating the shepherds who played their pipes when they came to the manger in Bethlehem.
 
In more recent times, traditions include using an Advent calendar, an Advent wreath, and candles in home windows.  In many countries, the first day of Advent often heralds the start of the Christmas season, with many people opting to put up their Christmas trees and decorations.
 
Our words of our Advent hymns reflect this time of preparation:
Redeemer of the nations come…
Lo! the Lamb, so long expected, comes with pardon down from heaven…
Greet One who comes in glory, foretold in sacred story…
The King shall come when morning dawns…
O come, O come, Emmanuel … as we rejoice to celebrate this season of hope, peace, joy, and love.
 
Bill Wilds