The season of Advent in the Christian calendar anticipates the "coming of Christ" from three different perspectives: the physical nativity inBethlehem, the reception of Christ in the heart of the believer, and theeschatological Second Coming.[a]
The analogue of Advent inEastern Christianity is called theNativity Fast, but it differs in meaning, length, and observances, and does not begin the liturgical church year as it does in the West. The Eastern Nativity Fast does not use the termparousia in its preparatory services.[8]
In theAnglican,Lutheran,Moravian,Presbyterian, andMethodist calendars, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas (the Sunday that falls on or closest to 30 November, always between 27 November and 3 December; it is the Sunday between the last Thursday of November and the first Thursday of December), and ends byChristmas Eve on 24 December.[9][10] In theRoman Rite of theCatholic Church, Advent begins with theFirst Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent and ends with theDeus, in adiutorium of the First Vespers of Christmas.[11] The first day of Advent also begins a newliturgical year.
In theAmbrosian Rite and theMozarabic Rite of the Catholic Church, Advent begins on the sixth Sunday before Christmas (the Sunday that falls on or closest to 16 November, always between 13 November and 19 November; it is the Sunday before the third Tuesday of November).
It is not known when the period of preparation for Christmas that is now called Advent began, though it was certainly in existence from about 480; the novelty introduced by theCouncil of Tours of 567 was to order monks to fast every day in the month of December until Christmas.[17] According toJ. Neil Alexander, it is "impossible to claim with confidence a credible explanation of the origin of Advent".[18]
Associated with Advent as a time of penitence was a period offasting, known also asSt Martin's Lent or theNativity Fast.[19] According to SaintGregory of Tours the celebration of Advent began in the fifth century when the BishopPerpetuus directed that starting with theSt. Martin's Day on 11 November until Christmas, one fasts three times per week; this is why Advent was sometimes also named "Lent of St. Martin". This practice remained limited to the diocese of Tours until the sixth century.[20]
TheCouncil of Macon held in 581 adopted the practice in Tours. Soon all France observed three days of fasting a week from the feast of Saint Martin until Christmas. The most devout worshipers in some countries exceeded the requirements adopted by the council, and fasted every day of Advent.
The first clear references in the Western Church to Advent occur in theGelasian Sacramentary, which provides Advent Collects, Epistles, and Gospels for the five Sundays preceding Christmas and for the corresponding Wednesdays and Fridays.[21] The homilies ofGregory the Great in the late sixth century showed four weeks to the liturgical season of Advent, but without the observance of a fast.[22] UnderCharlemagne in the ninth century, writings claim that the fast was still widely observed.
In the 13th century, the fast of Advent was not commonly practised although, according to Durand of Mende, fasting was still generally observed. As quoted in the bull of canonisation of St. Louis, the zeal with which he observed this fast was no longer a custom observed by Christians of great piety. It was then limited to the period from the feast of Saint Andrew until Christmas Day, since the solemnity of this apostle was more universal than that of St. Martin.[23]
WhenPope Urban V ascended the papal seat in 1362, he imposed abstinence on the papal court but there was no mention of fasting. It was then customary in Rome to observe five weeks of Advent before Christmas. TheAmbrosian Rite has six. The Greeks show no more real consistency: Advent was an optional fast that some begin on 15 November, while others begin on 6 December or only a few days before Christmas.[23]
The liturgy of Advent remained unchanged until theSecond Vatican Council introduced minor changes, differentiating the spirit of Lent from that of Advent, emphasising Advent as a season of hope for Christ's coming now as a promise of his Second Coming.[24]
The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often the preparation for theSecond Coming and theLast Judgement. While the Sunday readings relate to the first coming of Jesus Christ as saviour as well as to his Second Coming as judge, traditions vary in the relative importance of penitence and expectation during the weeks in Advent.
Since approximately the 13th century, the usual liturgical colour inWestern Christianity for Advent has been violet;Pope Innocent III declared black to be the proper colour for Advent, thoughDurandus of Saint-Pourçain claims violet has preference over black.[25] The violet or purple colour is often used forantependia, thevestments of the clergy, and often also thetabernacle.On the third Sunday of Advent,Gaudete Sunday, rose may be used instead, referencing the rose used onLaetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent.[26](p 346 ff) A rose-coloured candle in Western Christianity is referenced as a sign of joy (Gaudete) lit on the third Sunday of Advent.[27]
While the traditional colour for Advent is violet, there is a growing interest in and acceptance, by someChristian denominations of blue as an alternative liturgical colour for Advent, a custom traced to the usage of theChurch of Sweden (Lutheran) and theMozarabic Rite, which dates from the 8th century.[28]
TheLutheran Book of Worship lists blue as the preferred colour for Advent, while the MethodistBook of Worship and the PresbyterianBook of Common Worship identify purple or blue as appropriate for Advent. Proponents of this new liturgical trend argue that purple is traditionally associated with solemnity and somberness, which is fitting to the repentant character ofLent. There has been an increasing trend in Protestant churches to supplant purple with blue during Advent as it is a hopeful season of preparation that anticipates both Bethlehem and the consummation of history in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.[29] This colour is often called "Sarum blue", referring to its purported use at Salisbury Cathedral. Many of the ornaments and ceremonial practices associated with theSarum rite were revived in the Anglican Communion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as part of the Anglo-CatholicOxford Movement in the Church of England. While Anglican liturgistPercy Dearmer does not object to the use of blue during Advent, he did not attribute its use to Sarum. "[T]he so-called Sarum uses are really one-half made up from the fancy of nineteenth-century ritualists."[30]
While the Sarum use was influential, different dioceses, including Salisbury, used a variety of coloured vestments.[31] "In the Sarum Rite the Advent colour was red, but it could very well have been the red-purple known as murray ..."[32]
The Roman Catholic Church retains the traditional violet.[26](p 346 d.) Blue is not generally used in Latin Catholicism,[26](pp 346-347) and where it does regionally, it has nothing to do with Advent specifically, but with veneration of theBlessed Virgin.[33] However, on some occasions that are heavily associated with Advent, such as theRorate Mass (but not on Sundays), white is used.[34]
During the Nativity Fast, red is used by Eastern Christianity, although gold is an alternative colour.[35]
During Advent, theGloria of theMass is omitted, so that the return of the angels' song at Christmas has an effect of novelty.[37](p 91)Mass compositions written especially for Lent, such as Michael Haydn'sMissa tempore Quadragesimae, in D minor for choir and organ, have no Gloria and so are appropriate for use in Advent.
BishopPerpetuus of Tours, who died in 490, ordered fasting three days a week from the day after Saint Martin's Day (11 November). In the 6th century, localcouncils enjoined fasting on all days except Saturdays and Sundays from Saint Martin's Day to Epiphany (the feast of baptism), a period of 56 days, but of 40 days fasting, like the fast of Lent. It was therefore calledQuadragesima Sancti Martini (Saint Martin's Lent).[3](p 42) This period of fasting was later shortened and called "Advent" by the Church.[38]
In the Anglican and Lutheran churches this fasting rule was later relaxed. The Roman Catholic Church later abolished the precept of fasting during Advent (at an unknown date at the latest in1917), later, but kept Advent as a season ofpenitence. In addition to fasting, dancing and similar festivities were forbidden in these traditions. OnGaudete Sunday, relaxation of the fast was permitted. Eastern Orthodox andOriental Orthodox churches still hold the tradition of fasting for 40 days before Christmas.
In England, especially in the northern counties, there was a custom (now extinct) for poor women to carry around the "Advent images", two dolls dressed to represent Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. A halfpenny coin was expected from every one to whom these were exhibited and bad luck was thought to menace the household not visited by the doll-bearers before Christmas Eve at the latest.[39]
InNormandy, farmers employed children under twelve to run through the fields and orchards armed with torches, setting fire to bundles of straw, and thus, it was believed, driving out such vermin as were likely to damage the crops.[40]
In Italy, among other Advent celebrations, is the entry intoRome in the last days of Advent of the Calabrianpifferari, or bagpipe players, who play before the shrines of Mary, the mother of Jesus: in Italian tradition, the shepherds played these pipes when they came to themanger atBethlehem to pay homage to the infant Jesus.[37](p 112)
In recent times,[as of?] the most common observance of Advent outside church circles has been the keeping of an Advent calendar orAdvent candle, with one door being opened in the calendar, or one section of the candle being burned, on each day in December leading up to Christmas Eve. In many countries, the first day of Advent often heralds the start of theChristmas season, with many people opting to erect theirChristmas trees and Christmas decorations on or immediately before Advent Sunday.[6]
An Advent wreath with three blue candles and one rose candle surrounding the central Christ CandleA giant Advent wreath inKaufbeuren,Bavaria, Germany
The keeping of an Advent wreath is a common practice in homes or churches.[42] The concept of the Advent wreath originated among German Lutherans in the 16th century.[43] However, it was not until three centuries later that the modern Advent wreath took shape.[c]
The modern Advent wreath, with its candles representing the Sundays of Advent, originated from an 1839 initiative byJohann Hinrich Wichern, a Protestant pastor in Germany and a pioneer in urban mission work among the poor. To deal with the impatience of the children awaiting Christmas, whom he was teaching, Wichern made a ring of wood, with 19 small red tapers and four large white candles. Every morning a small candle was lit, and every Sunday a large candle. Modern practice only retains the large candles.[45]
The wreath crown is traditionally made offir tree branches knotted with a red ribbon and decorated with pine cones, holly, laurel, and sometimes mistletoe. It is also an ancient symbol signifying several things; first of all, the crown symbolises victory, in addition to its round form evoking the sun and its return each year. The number four represents the four Sundays of Advent, and the green twigs are a sign of life and hope.
The fir tree is a symbol of strength and laurel a symbol of victory over sin and suffering. The latter two, with the holly, do not lose their leaves, and thus represent the eternity of God. The flames of candles are the representation of the Christmas light approaching and bringing hope and peace, as well as the symbol of the struggle against darkness. For Christians, this crown is also the symbol ofChrist the King, the holly recalling the crown of thorns resting on the head of Christ.
The Advent wreath is adorned with candles, usually three violet or purple and one pink; the pink candle is lit on the Third Sunday of Advent, called "Gaudete Sunday" after the opening word,Gaudete, meaning 'Rejoice', of the entrance antiphon atMass. Some add a fifth candle (white), known as the "Christ candle", in the middle of the wreath, to be lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.[46]
The candles symbolize, in one interpretation, the great stages of salvation before the coming of the Messiah; the first is the symbol of the forgiveness granted to Adam and Eve, the second is the symbol of the faith ofAbraham and of the patriarchs who believe in the gift of thePromised Land, the third is the symbol of the joy of David whose lineage does not stop and also testifies to his covenant with God, and the fourth and last candle is the symbol of the teaching of the prophets who announce a reign of justice and peace. Alternatively, they symbolize the four stages of human history; creation, the Incarnation, the redemption of sins, and theLast Judgment.[47]
In Orthodox churches there are sometimes wreaths with six candles, in line with the six-week duration of the Nativity Fast/Advent.
In Sweden, white candles, symbol of festivity and purity, are used in celebratingSaint Lucy's Day, 13 December, which always falls within Advent.
First Sunday in Advent: On the First Sunday (Advent Sunday), they look forward to theSecond Coming of Christ.
Second Sunday in Advent: On the Second Sunday, the Gospel reading recalls the preaching ofJohn the Baptist, who came to "prepare the way of the Lord"; the other readings have associated themes.
Third Sunday in Advent: On the Third Sunday ("Gaudete Sunday"), the Gospel reading is again about John the Baptist, the other readings about the joy associated with the coming of the Saviour.
Fourth Sunday in Advent: On the Fourth Sunday, the Gospel reading is about the events involving Mary and Joseph that led directly to the birth of Jesus, while the other readings are related to these.
Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist traditions
Celtic cross in memorial garden, Bon Air Presbyterian Church, Virginia, with Adventwreaths decorating the gates
A variety of practices derived from theRoman rite are observed in various protestant churches which retain similar liturgical practices.[48][49]
Last Sunday before Advent: In the Roman Catholic Church since 1969, and in mostAnglican churches since at least 2000, the Sunday before Advent (the final Sunday of theliturgical year) is celebrated as theFeast of Christ the King. This feast is now also widely observed in many Protestant churches, sometimes as theReign of Christ.[citation needed]
First Sunday in Advent: The readings for the first Sunday in Advent relate to the Old Testament patriarchs who were Christ's ancestors, so some call the first Advent candle that of hope.
Second Sunday in Advent: The readings for the second Sunday concern Christ's birth in Bethlehem and other prophecies, so the candle may be called the "Bethlehem candle", the "way candle", or the "prophets' candle".
Third Sunday in Advent: The third Sunday, calledGaudete Sunday after the first word of the introit (Philippians 4:4), is celebrated with rose-coloured vestments similar to Laetare Sunday at the middle point of Lent. The readings relate toJohn the Baptist, and the rose-coloured candle may be called the "joy candle", "Mary candle", or "shepherds' candle".[d]
Fourth Sunday in Advent: The readings for the fourth Sunday relate to the annunciation of Christ's birth, for which theMagnificat or "Song of Mary" may be featured. The candle may be known as the "angel's candle".
First Sunday after Advent: Where an Advent wreath includes a fifth candle, it is known as the "Christ candle" and is lit during the Christmas Eve service.
Other variations of the themes celebrated on each of the four Sundays include:
The Prophets' Candle, symbolizing hope; the Bethlehem Candle, symbolizing faith; the Shepherds' Candle, symbolizing joy; the Angel's Candle, symbolizing peace[46]
^"since the time ofBernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153), Christians have spoken of the three comings of Christ: In the flesh inBethlehem, in our hearts daily, and in glory at the end of time".[3]
^The use of a five-candle Advent wreath involves lighting an additional candle every Sunday and lighting the center Christ Candle on Christmas.[4][5]
^The first clear association with Advent is generally attributed to German Lutherans in the 16th century. However, another three centuries would pass before the modern Advent wreath took shape. Specifically, a German theologian and educator by the name of Johann Hinrich Wichern (1808–1881) is credited with the idea of lighting an increasing number of candles as Christmas approached.[44]
^In theU.S. Episcopal Church, thecollect "Stir up" (the first words of the collect) may be read during the third Sunday in Advent, although before the 1979 revision of theBook of Common Prayer it was sometimes read in the first Sunday in Advent. Even earlier, "stir-up Sunday" was once jocularly associated with the stirring of the Christmasmincemeat, begun before Advent, since the phrase "stir up" occurs at the start of the collect for the last Sunday before Advent in the old1662Book of Common Prayer.[50]
^abcdefgKennedy, Rodney Wallace; Hatch, Derek C. (2013).Baptists at Work in Worship.Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 147.ISBN978-1-62189-843-6.There are a variety or worship practices that enable a congregation to celebrate Advent: lighting an advent wreath, a hanging of the greens service, a Chrismon tree, and an Advent devotional booklet.
^abGeddes, Gordon; Griffiths, Jane (2001).Christianity. Heinemann. p. 99.ISBN978-0-435-30695-3.Many churches hold Christingle services during Advent. Children are given a Christingle.adaa
^Dennis Bratcher.The Season of Advent: Anticipation and Hope.Christian Research Institute.Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved2 December 2010.Finally, the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas, and worshippers rejoice over the fact that the hope and promise of long ago have been realized.
^abNormark, Helena (1997).Modern Christmas. Graphic Garden.Christmas in Sweden starts with Advent, which is the await for the arrival of Jesus. The symbol for it is the Advent candlestick with four candles in it, and we light one more candle for each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Most people start putting up the Christmas decorations on the first of Advent.
^Rice, Howard L.; Huffstutler, James C. (2001).Reformed Worship. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 197.ISBN978-0-664-50147-1.Another popular activity is the 'Hanging of the Greens,' a service in which the sanctuary is decorated for Christmas.
^"The Threefold Advent of Our Lord Jesus Christ". Indiana District LCMS. Retrieved14 November 2024.Two of the hymns of Advent call special attention to this threefold coming of Christ. "Once He Came in Blessing" (LSB 333) confesses that He once came "in likeness lowly" to bear the Cross and save us (st. 1), that He now comes to feed us with "precious Food from heaven" (st. 2), and that He will come "in splendor" to render judgment and bring the faithful into "joy beyond comparing" (st. 3).
^St. Gregory, bishop of Tours (1836).Histoire ecclésiastique des Francs, revue et collationnée [Ecclesiastical history of the French, reviewed and collated] (in French). Translated by Guadet, J.; Taranne.
^Cross, F.L., ed. (1974).The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 19.
^Kellner, K.A.H. (1908).Heortology: A history of the Christian festivals from their origin to the present day. Kegan Paul Trench Trubner & Co. Ltd. p. 430 – via Google Books.
^"Terminanmeldung – Meditation und Gestaltung eines Adventslabyrinths" [Appointment – Meditation and design of an Advent labyrinth] (in German). Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität [Holy Cross – Center for christian meditation and spirituality]. 2016. Archived fromthe original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved23 December 2016.
^"Préparer une couronne de l'Avent" [How to prepare an Advent Wreath]. Couronnes de l'Avent (in French). 23 October 2017. Retrieved29 October 2017.
^Colbert, Teddy (1996).The Living Wreath. Gibbs Smith.ISBN978-0-87905-700-8.It is believed that the European advent wreath began as a Lutheran innovation in the sixteenth century.
^Mosteller, Angie (2010).Christmas: Celebrating the Christian history of classic symbols, songs, and stories. Holiday Classics Publishing. p. 167.ISBN978-0-9845649-0-3.
^Tullos, Matt (1 December 2017)."Week 1: Faith".lifeway.com. Advent devotional. Archived fromthe original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved10 December 2017.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Advent".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
_2010-07-14_290.jpg)
.jpg)
