Advent is a countdown to Christmas that involves chocolate, or some other sugary treat. At least, that’s what I thought it was until a couple years ago.
Advent is kind of funny to define because most people have a lot of associations with the word, which are either positive or “that’s not really my thing.” Not that Advent should be everyone’s thing, but we easily limit the potential for Advent because allow our rigid, traditional definitions to interfere with the possibility the season holds.
But then you can’t go on nothing, so here I am “defining” Advent anyway. Since I’ve already shared what Advent feels like to me, I have to move on to the the objective, fact-y definition of Advent:
Advent comes from a word meaning “coming” or “arrival”, in reference to Jesus’ coming to earth. Most immediately, this is a season to reflect on the significance of Jesus’ first “coming”, which we celebrate most fully on Christmas. But Advent traditionally also serves as a reminder to anticipate and prepare for Jesus’ second coming. By looking back to what Jesus has done and looking forward to what he will do, we have an opportunity to reflect on the immensity of God’s grace and love for us, and celebrate this beautiful story of which we get to be a part.
So what does it mean to celebrate Advent? What are the minimum requirements? I don’t know. Some people go all out Advent and call it that….some people practice the form of Advent but it means nothing…some people use the Christmas season to focus on Jesus but they don’t call it Advent. The point of Advent is you and Jesus, and you can do it however you want and you can call it Merry Jesus Time if you want. (But if you do, I will secretly call you an Advent-er behind your back).
So the form of your Advent isn’t important. But people have long known that function follows form (to twist the saying slightly) and that sometimes we need a form or plan or goal to follow so that we actually do what we say we want to do. It is normal for me to say “I want to spend more time with Jesus” , but without a plan, I usually don’t get around to it. And that’s why traditional Advent practices exist, so that finding a plan is as easy as finding four candles. Kind of. Here’s Advent’s basic form:
Advent begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas: for 2008 that means Advent begins November 30th.
Advent candles (also called an Advent Wreath) are typically part of an Advent celebration, with four candles arranged in a circle, and an additional one in the middle. A new candle is lit each Sunday, standing for a certain part of the Christmas story. Traditionally, the first candle represents Hope or Anticipation (or sometimes, the Prophets). But from there, some people go with Peace, Love, Joy…some, Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angels…John the Baptist, Mary, the Magi…Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment…you get the idea. But the center candle is always the Christ Candle, and is lit Christmas Eve or Day.
Since Advent has been around for a very, very long time, there are lots traditions and rituals besides the Advent Wreath that have accumulated over the years. I have taken the buffet approach to my own Advent practices, taking what sounds good and leaving the rest. To do Advent doesn’t mean you do everything. Pick what works for you and your family.
There are four main areas where the concept of Advent transformed my Christmas season:
Worship|Reflection – personally contemplating and rejoicing in Jesus coming, past, present & future
Traditions|Memories – creating and practicing family traditions, which make memories and establish basic faith concepts through repetition and symbol
Giving|Loving – showing love to friends, family, and community through gifts and acts of service
Purpose|Structure – establishing a focus for activity to help cultivate meaning and enjoyment
There are lots of other very good discussions out there about what Advent is, along with descriptions about the various symbols and colors and rituals commonly associated with Advent. So, no need to repeat them here. You can google ‘Advent’ yourself, or take a look a some of these sites:
http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html (this is an especially great resource, be sure to check out the links on the right side)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent
http://www.americanbible.org/brcpages/Advent
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