Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming") is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus, in other words, the period immediately preceding Christmas. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Christmastide (also Christmas or the Christmas season) is one of the seasons of the Liturgical year of most Christian churches Epiphany ( Greek for "to manifest" or "to show" is a Christian Feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or Paschal Triduum is a term used by some Christian churches particularly the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastertide, or the Easter Season, or Paschal Time, is the period of fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the Ordinary Time is a season of the Christian (especially the Catholic) Liturgical calendar In the Christian Liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the The Nativity Fast, is a period abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches, in preparation For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. Epiphany ( Greek for "to manifest" or "to show" is a Christian Feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported by the Synoptic Gospels in which Jesus is transfigured upon a mountain (,) The Dormition of the Theotokos ( Greek: Koimesis) is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. It is the beginning of the Western Christian year and commences on Advent Sunday. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Advent Sunday is the first day of the Liturgical year in the Western Christian churches. The Eastern Churches begin the liturgical year on 1 September. Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. ^[1] The Eastern equivalent of Advent is called the Nativity Fast, and differs both in length and observance (see that article for specifics). The Nativity Fast, is a period abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches, in preparation

The progression of Advent may be marked with an Advent calendar reckoning Advent to start on 1 December, a practice introduced by German Lutherans. An Advent calendar is a special calendar used to count the days of Advent. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican

Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used in reference to the Second Coming. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic Christians believe that the season of Advent serves a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure as they await the second coming of Christ. Hebrews (or Hebertes, Eberites, Hebreians, " Habiru " or " Habiri " Hebrew: עברים This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed "

Tradition

Acolyte lighting Advent candles

The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. This article is about religious acolytes For other uses see Acolyte (disambiguation. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as Saviour, and to his second coming as Judge, special lessons are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent.

A darker purple (sometimes called "Royal Purple") is used whereas in Lent the color is often a reddish purple ("Roman Purple"). This shade is used for the hangings around the church, on the vestments of the clergy, and usually the Tabernacle. An antependium (Latin "to hang before" pl antependia) more commonly known as a hanging, or when speaking specifically of the hanging Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religions especially the Latin Rite and other Roman Catholics The Tabernacle is known in Hebrew as the Mishkan ( משכן "Residence" or "Dwelling Place" On the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, rose pink is used, since this Sunday takes on a more joyous tone. Gaudete Sunday (ɡaʊˈdɛteɪ is the third Sunday of Advent in the Christian calendar. In some Anglican and Lutheran churches, blue is the liturgical colour for Advent, a custom traced to the medieval Sarum Rite. The Sarum Rite was a variant of the Roman Rite widely used for the ordering of Christian public worship including the Mass or Eucharist This color is often referred to "Sarum blue. " In the Eastern churches, red is used.

Many churches make use of Advent wreaths during this season, with one candle representing each of the four Sundays precetding Christmas. Advent wreaths are a tradition used by Christians to mark the passage of the 4 weeks of Advent. The pink candle is lit on the Sunday before Christmas. During Christmas Day, four lit white candles are used.

The "Late Advent Weekdays" or December 17-24, mark the singing of the Great Advent 'O Antiphons'. The O Antiphons are Antiphons used at daily prayer in the evenings of the last days of Advent in various Liturgical Christian traditions These are the antiphons for the Magnificat at Vespers, or Evening Prayer (in the Roman Catholic Church) and Evensong (in the Anglican Church) each day, and mark the forthcoming birth of the Messiah. The Magnificat (also known as the Song of Mary) is a Canticle frequently sung (or spoken liturgically in Christian church services Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the They form the basis for each verse of the popular Advent hymn, "O come, O come, Emmanuel. O come O come Emmanuel is a translation of the Christian Latin text ("Veni veni Emmanuel" by John Mason Neale in the mid-19th "

From the 4th century, the season was kept as a period of fasting as strict as that of Lent (commencing in some localities on 11 November; this being the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, the fast became known as "St. Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Saint Martin of Tours (Martinus (316/317 Savaria, Pannonia &ndash November 8, 317, Candes, Gaul; buried November Martin's Fast," "St. Martin's Lent" or "the forty days of St. Martin"). St Martin's Day (or Martinstag) is November 11, the Feast day of Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier The feast day was in many countries a time of frolic and heavy eating, since the 40-day fast began the next day. In the Anglican and Lutheran churches this fasting rule was later relaxed, with the Roman Catholic Church doing likewise later, but still keeping Advent as a season of penitence. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Penance is repentance of Sins as well as the proper name of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession In addition to fasting, dancing and similar festivities were forbidden.

Incensing During Solemn Advent Vespers (St. A thurible is a metal Censer suspended from chains in which Incense is burned during Worship services Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the Mary's Catholic Church, Greenville, South Carolina).

In many countries, Advent was long marked by diverse popular observances, some of which still survive. 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. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary A halfpenny 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. Christmas Eve, December 24, is the day before Christmas Day, the celebrated birthday of Jesus.

In Normandy, farmers employed children under twelve to run through the fields and orchards armed with torches, setting fire to bundles of straw, and thus it is believed driving out such vermin as are likely to damage the crops. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. In Italy, among other Advent celebrations, is the entry into Rome in the last days of Advent of the Calabrian pifferari, or bagpipe players, who play before the shrines of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Italian tradition being that the shepherds played these pipes when they came to the manger at Bethlehem to pay homage to the infant Jesus. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 A manger is a trough or box of carved stone or wood construction used to hold Food for Animals (as in a Stable) Bethlehem ( بيت لحم,, lit "House of Meat" Βηθλεέμ Bethleém בית לחם Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" is a

References

See also

• Fasting and abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church
• Mortification of the flesh in Christianity
• Lent
• Rogation Days
• Great Lent
• Apostles' Fast
• Dormition Fast

External links

• Daily devotions through the season of Advent
• The Christian Season of Advent at the Christian Resource Institute
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Advent
• American Catholic: Advent to Epiphany Prayers, calendar and activities
• Liturgical Resources for Advent
• Advent FAQ at the Missouri Synod Lutheran web site
• Advent wreath FAQ at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America web site
• Advent Resources at The Bible Resource Center, an online ministry of the American Bible Society
• History of Advent