Advent — is the pre-Christmas period.
Advent (from Latin adventus — coming) — is the pre-Christmas time, to which numerous rituals and customs are timed. Advent — waiting time for the Nativity of Christ.
The duration of Advent is about four weeks, which includes, as a rule, 4 Sundays, in other words, 3 full weeks with the addition of 1 to 6 days, depending on what day of the week Christmas falls on.
During Advent, the Holy Mass is celebrated in churches early in the morning in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary — «rorata». The symbol of this mass is a lit candle that illuminates the path of those going to church until sunrise. To prevent the candle from going out, it is placed in a special flashlight with transparent windows.
Advent is divided into two calendar stages: the first — from the first Sunday to December 16, — which is dedicated to reflections on the upcoming Second Coming of Jesus Christ; and the second — from December 17 to 24 (Noven — nine days of pre-Christmas celebration), — which is a direct preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ and is dedicated to the remembrance of the First Coming of Jesus Christ into the world — of the Incarnation.
All Sundays of Advent are equal in importance to great holidays, and if any other holiday falls on the Sunday of Advent, it is postponed to Monday. The first Sunday of Advent is considered the beginning of the new liturgical (church) year.
Each Sunday of Advent is dedicated to a certain memory, which corresponds to the gospel readings during the service: the first Sunday is dedicated to the coming coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time, the second and third — to John the Baptist, who preceded the public service of Christ, the fourth — events immediately preceding the birth of the Son of God and the special place of the Virgin Mary in the mystery of the Incarnation.
First Sunday of Advent
On this day, the first candle is lit in the wreath of Advent — the candle of Prophecy. It symbolizes the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Savior. People celebrate the fulfillment of these prophecies — the coming of the Savior to earth as a Child, His coming into the hearts of people through faith in the Word of God, and His last coming in glory to judge all people.
Traditions
Advent calendar.
The Advent calendar was born quite recently, at the end of the last century. It was invented by German woman Frau Lang for her son to make waiting for Christmas more « interesting».
The most common form of the Advent calendar is a box with opening windows, according to the number of Advent days, containing figures made of chocolate, which can now be bought in every store called «New Year's set».
Although self-made calendars bring much greater joy, and it is better to replace chocolates in the windows with either poems from the Holy Scriptures, or pictures, or a list of good deeds that would be worth doing on this day. So the usual form of the calendar is not the only one at all.
For example, residents of Scandinavian countries, with their inherent sense of humor, make the Advent calendar in the form of a piglet, without which the Christmas table is simply unthinkable.
Matchsticks according to the number of Advent days are stuck into a large potato, legs are made from sticks, a small tail is made from twisted shavings and a muzzle is made from cardboard with a pink heel. And everyone, young and old, knows that as matches from potato Piggy disappear, its living brother in the barn quickly gains weight and taste.
Christmas staircase.
There is another tradition associated with the Advent period, — is a staircase. But unusual. Most often it is arranged in Sunday school classes. Ideally, — is a few steps that correspond to the days of Advent.
At the uppermost step is the Star of Bethlehem, and at the lowest — there are empty nurseries with hay. And on the steps is a figurine of the baby Christ, which day by day, as Christmas approaches, falls a step lower to end up in a manger on December 25th.
Like the Advent calendar, this unique staircase helps kids clearly feel the approach of a joyful holiday.