Are Advent calendars just for Catholics?
Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming.” For Protestants, Catholics and other Christian traditions, Advent is a four-week period intended to be a time of preparation for the arrival of Jesus Christ.
On the one hand, it's one of the major seasons celebrated by most Christian churches in the Western tradition: Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and many additional Protestant churches mark the roughly month-long period with special observance.
Traditionally, Advent calendars have been inherently religious. In 2022, they are now popular among religious and non-religious alike. On retail sites, the most popular Advent calendars contain Christmas themes, images and colors but lack specific references to Jesus or Christianity.
Advent, (from Latin adventus, “coming”), in the Christian church calendar, the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. In Western churches, Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30 (St.
Advent calendars
During the 19th century, adults began helping children count down the days until Christmas. Beginning on December 1, some German Lutherans made chalk marks on doors in anticipation of the entry of the Christ child, and other parents created homemade ways to count down involving snacks and Bible verses.
With solemnity and joyous expectation, Christians across the Southland and around the world usher in the season of Advent on Sunday.
Commonly constructed as a house shape with 24 doors on it, the purpose of the advent calendar is to count the days to Christmas. Starting from the first of December, each day the next door in the sequence is opened.
Most Christian denominations celebrate Advent, though how exactly they celebrate can differ. These include churches and sects that follow an ecclesiastical calendar, as Advent is one of the main dates and seasons to remember. Advent is celebrated by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and more.
People from Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and other Christian traditions celebrate Advent, though the specific practices may vary from community to community. Additionally, some people celebrate Advent without the focus on Jesus' arrival, seeing the tradition as a fun way to countdown to Christmas.
While Advent is not a regular part of LDS practice, individual families, such as ours, have found that incorporating some aspects of it into their own traditions at home can be a wonderful way to keep the Christmas season Christ-centered.
What culture does Advent calendar come from?
Advent calendars have their roots in the 19th century, when German Protestants started taking creative steps to mark the days leading up to Christmas, like ticking off chalk marks on walls or doors, lighting candles and placing straws in a Nativity crib.
The use of the wreath and candles during Advent are a longstanding Catholic tradition that was originally adopted by Christians in the Middle Ages as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas. The wreath and candles are full of symbolism tied to the Christmas season.
For many of the holiday calendars, Dec. 1 is the first day to count down the days of Advent, the religious days leading up to Christmas Eve.
The season of Advent in the Christian calendar anticipates the "coming of Christ" from three different perspectives: the physical nativity in Bethlehem, the reception of Christ in the heart of the believer, and the eschatological Second Coming.
The most common Advent themes are hope, peace, joy, and love. Some traditions include lighting a different candle on a wreath each Sunday of Advent and reflecting a different theme.
Some denominations hold a special service on Christmas morning. Young children may be encouraged to bring their toys. Christmas carols are sung and there are Bible readings based around the Christmas story.
While the origin of this as an Advent tradition dates back to the Lutheran church following the Reformation, the current form commonly used today was developed more recently and is used in many other Christian churches throughout the world.
On the First Sunday of Advent, Christians start lighting their Advent wreaths, and praying their Advent daily devotional; believers may also erect their Christmas tree or Chrismon tree, light a Christingle, as well as engage in other ways of preparing for Christmas, such as setting up Christmas decorations, a custom ...
Advent marks the beginning of the church year. It is a time for reflection in darkness, for renewal of hope and for a movement towards a beginning. The season of Advent, as it first emerged in the Church in the fourth and fifth centuries, lasted, like Lent, for 40 days.
The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources, but most biblical scholars generally accept a date of birth between 6 BC and 4 BC, the year in which King Herod died.
What is the difference between Advent and advent calendar?
An Advent calendar is used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. Since the date of the First Sunday of Advent varies, falling between November 27 and December 3 inclusive, many reusable Advent calendars made of paper or wood begin on December 1.
Lent is observed in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East, United Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions of Christianity.
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