Advent - A Season of Hope & Expectation

Advent

The word Advent is derived from the Latin word "adventus" meaning "coming" or "arrival". Advent season last for 4 Sundays. It begins from four Sundays before Christmas (2 December 2018) and ends on Christmas Eve (24 December 2018). Advent is the time of joy which leading up to the celebration of Christmas. It is the time for Christians to prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus and look forward to the return of Jesus at the second coming. It is celebrated with various traditions and rituals by Catholics and other liturgical groups such as Lutherans, Anglicans, and Methodists. 

What is an Advent?

The time of interval and expectation is known as Advent, and it indicates the expectation of something new, something notable from our loving ones. Advent is looking forward to the arrival of Christmas. 

It indicates the beginning of the liturgical year for Christians. It is the season of waiting, preparation, expectation, joy and gratefulness. It is time for the preparation of our hearts and minds for celebrating the birthday of Jesus. Advent is a season of devoted and merrily belief. Its four Sundays feature hope, love, joy and peace.

How Advent is Celebrated?

Advent is celebrated with candles, wreath, branches and trees full of flashes of lightning. It is the primary tradition of advent. Churches and houses are fully decorated with advent crowns are known as advent wreath hang in windows and doors and lighting candles each Sunday in preparation for the arrival of Jesus i.e. on Christmas day. Advent wreath is build up of a circle of evergreen branches into which four candles are tapped representing the four weeks of advent. In advent wreath, the first candle is lit on first Sunday of advent second candle lit on second Sunday and so on. 

 What Advent Wreath Signifies?

ADVENT WREATH

Advent wreath is blessed with evergreen branches, trees in circular shape. The evergreen leaves represent the hope of eternal life brought by Jesus Christ and the circle of branches of the wreath reminds us of the eternal cycle of the seasons. The shape of a wreath with no beginning or end i.e. circle represents the endless love of Jesus for us. During the Advent season, we are eagerly waiting for their arrival so that we celebrate the birth of Jesus with full of happiness and joy. 

Advent Calendars

ADVENT CALENDAR

Advent calendars are the calendars used to count down the remaining days of Advent. It is another tradition of the Advent season. Mostly advent calendars are of rectangular shape with windows one for each day from the first day of December (1 December 2018) to the Christmas Eve (24 December 2018).

Consecutive windows of advent calendar are open every day leading up to Christmas.  Each open window reveals an image, a poem, a portion of a story, or a small gift, such as a toy or a chocolate item. each window has a Bible verse and Christian prayer printed on it, Advent calendars may also have puzzles and games printed on their reverse side. It helps the children to learn the true meaning of Christmas. 

Advent Candles Meaning

Advent candle inserted in advent wreath have their own significance. It represents the four weeks of advent season, each candle lit on each Sunday. Three candles are purple coloured because the violet colour is a liturgical colour that signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice. 

ADVENT CANDLES

One candle is of pink colour which symbolize that Christmas is on the way and we have to prepare for it and last candle is of white colour placed in middle which symbolize purity - pure savior. Mercy Home Advent wreath does not include a white candle, as this is a tradition that has become popular in modern-day adaptations. Candle represents Jesus is coming means hope of light in the darkness.

• Prophecy Candle

Purple Coloured

It is the first candle of advent season symbolizes "HOPE" represents Isaiah and other prophets who foretold the birth of Christ.

• Bethlehem Candle

Purple Coloured

It is the second candle of advent season symbolizes "PEACE" represents Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

• Shepard’s Candle

Pink Coloured

It is the third candle of advent season symbolizes "JOY" represents joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus.

• Angel’s Candle

Purple Coloured

It is the fourth candle of advent season symbolize "LOVE" represents the birth of the savior.

The white colored candle placed on the middle of advent wreath that lit on the Christmas eve is called the “Christ Candle” and represents the life of Christ. 

Conclusion

Thus, Advent is the time that leading to Christmas. It is the time when we have to prepare our mind and hearts to celebrate Christmas full of joy and anticipation. Advent comes with plentiful opportunities to grasp the divine practices of patience, waiting, hope, joy and happiness. Advent is all about expectation and hope. The traditions of advent help us to celebrate Christmas with greater anticipation.

Advent – Awaiting the Arrival of Christmas

December is on the way and Christmas is just two weeks away. But before Christmas, a time of gift-giving celebration and joy are there. This time of interval and expectation is known as Advent, and it indicates the expectation of something new, something notable from our loving ones. Advent means "arrival" and it celebrated before the Christmas arrives or from beginning to mid of December.

Christmas is the glorious time of the year. Adults, men, women, children all are eagerly waiting for the advent of the Christmas. It comes with plentiful opportunities to grasp the divine practices of patience, waiting, hope, joy and happiness. Now, it’s a time to enjoy a festive feast with our family and friends.

Advent is the season of waiting and preparation. A season of expectation and gratefulness. It is the time observed in many Christmas churches as a time of waiting and arrangement for both the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas and the arrival of Jesus at the next arrival. 

Trees are clip, gifts are wrapped, cookies are stewed and streets are decorated with lights. Markets and malls are full of gifts, cards, cake, cookies and champagne. As the countdowns begin for the merriest day of the year. All are eagerly waiting for the arrival of Christmas.

The time of waiting before Christmas is filled with hope and expectation. It is basically starting from four Sundays prior to Christmas in which we are waiting for arrival. It is the most wonderful time of the year it can be tough to be cheery with the hustle and bustle of shopping and tackling to-do lists. So, take a break from that noise, and just enjoy the best of the season.