Sarah Mitchell
The Advent season is a time of preparation for Christians, leading up to Christmas and the celebration of Christ's birth. The word 'Advent' comes from the Latin 'ad + venire', meaning 'to come to' or 'to come toward'. The season is observed by Christian churches that maintain a liturgical calendar, including the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox denominations. The length of Advent varies slightly each year, but it always includes four Sundays and can last between three and four weeks. In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, Advent begins with the First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent and ends with the First Vespers of Christmas. During Advent, the liturgical colour is purple, symbolising penance and preparation, and churches are more modestly decorated.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Sundays in Advent | 4 |
| Length of Advent | Between 3 and 4 weeks |
| Start of Advent | First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent |
| End of Advent | First Vespers of Christmas |
| Liturgical colour | Purple |
| Alternative colours | Violet, rose, blue, gold, white |
| Advent traditions | Advent calendar, Advent wreath, novenas, carolling, Gaudete parties |
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What You'll Learn
- Advent is a period of devout preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas
- The liturgical colour for Advent is purple, signifying solemnity and penance
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church says Advent is about making present the ancient expectancy of the Messiah
- Advent begins with First Vespers and ends with Deus, in adiutorium of the First Vespers of Christmas
- Advent is a time of fasting to prepare for the arrival of Jesus
Advent is a period of devout preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas
The liturgical colour for Advent is purple, signifying preparation, solemnity, and somberness, just like Lent. In some traditions, blue is the preferred colour, representing the hopeful nature of the season as it anticipates the coming of Jesus. The season of Advent is marked by fasting, prayer, and penance, with a focus on preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ and the celebration of His birth at Christmas.
Advent begins with the First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent, which falls on or closest to November 30, and ends with the First Vespers of Christmas. There are four Sundays of Advent, but the season can vary in length, lasting between three and four weeks depending on which day of the week December 25 falls.
During Advent, the readings of Mass on the Sundays have distinct themes. The First Sunday looks forward to the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Sunday recalls the preaching of John the Baptist, the Third Sunday ("Gaudete Sunday") is a day of rejoicing, and the Fourth Sunday focuses on the events involving Mary and Joseph leading up to the birth of Jesus.
Advent is a time for spiritual reflection and discipline, with practices such as fasting, prayer, and devotional activities like the Advent wreath and Advent calendars playing a significant role in preparing for the coming of Christ and the celebration of Christmas.
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The liturgical colour for Advent is purple, signifying solemnity and penance
The colour purple has been associated with solemnity and penance since the 1570 Missal, also known as the "tridentine rite", was promulgated. Purple is the standard colour for penitential occasions in the Roman Rite, and Advent is generally considered a penitential season. Purple is also used as the liturgical colour for Lent, another season of fasting and preparation in the Christian calendar.
In addition to its symbolic meaning, the colour purple has practical advantages. Purple dye was expensive, and only wealthy parishes and cathedrals could afford multiple sets of vestments in different colours. By using purple vestments for both Advent and Lent, churches could save on the cost of purchasing additional vestments.
In recent times, there has been a trend in some Protestant churches to use blue instead of purple during Advent. Blue is associated with hope and anticipation, reflecting the joyful nature of the season as a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. However, purple remains the traditional liturgical colour for Advent in the Catholic Church, signifying solemnity and penance during this season of preparation and introspection.
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church says Advent is about making present the ancient expectancy of the Messiah
Advent is a season in the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar that precedes Christmas. It begins on the First Sunday of Advent and ends on Christmas day. The season of Advent can be between three and four weeks long, depending on which weekday December 25 falls on.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that Advent is about making present the ancient expectancy of the Messiah. This means that, by sharing in the long preparation for the Saviour's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. The season of Advent is a time to focus on Christ's present coming to mankind in the Word and Sacraments. It is a time of waiting and longing for the Messiah, even though Christ has already come into the world. The Church invites Catholics to renew their desire for Christ's second coming and to prepare for Christmas, the memorial of Jesus Christ's birth.
The readings of Mass on the Sundays of Advent have distinct themes. On the First Sunday of Advent, Catholics look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. On the Second Sunday, the Gospel reading recalls the preaching of John the Baptist, who came to "prepare the way of the Lord". The Third Sunday in Advent is Gaudete Sunday, a day of rejoicing as it marks the halfway point of Advent. The Gospel reading on this day is again about John the Baptist, with the other readings focusing on the joy associated with the coming of the Saviour. On the Fourth Sunday, the Gospel reading is about the events involving Mary and Joseph that led to the birth of Jesus, while the other readings are related to these events.
Advent is also a time of penitence, fasting, and spiritual disciplines such as prayer and almsgiving. The lighting of candles during Advent reminds Catholics that Christ is the light of the world, and the evergreen boughs symbolise new and eternal life in Christ. The liturgical colour for Advent is purple, which is associated with solemnity and somberness. However, there has been a recent trend in some Protestant churches to use blue, a colour associated with Sarum blue in the Anglican Communion.
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Advent begins with First Vespers and ends with Deus, in adiutorium of the First Vespers of Christmas
Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations, including the Catholic Church, as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus' birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. The season also includes an element of penance, in the sense of preparing, quieting, and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas.
The length of Advent varies slightly each year, depending on which day of the week 25 December falls. There are always four Sundays of Advent, but the season can last between three and four weeks. The First Sunday of Advent falls on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which can be as early as 27 November or as late as 3 December. The First Sunday of Advent also begins a new liturgical year.
Advent begins with First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of the Sunday that falls on or closest to 30 November and ends before First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of Christmas. Vespers is a liturgy that opens with a blessing by the priest and then a chant of the opening versicles, which include the line "Deus, in adiutorium meum intende". This is followed by the Gloria Patri and the Alleluia, although the Alleluia is omitted during Lent.
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, Advent ends with the "Deus, in adiutorium" of the First Vespers of Christmas. The First Vespers of Christmas function in place of the typica as the framework of the hymns of the Liturgy of the Catechumens. After the readings from the Old Testament, the Trisagion is chanted, followed by the Epistle and Gospel, and the Divine Liturgy proceeds as usual from that point.
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Advent is a time of fasting to prepare for the arrival of Jesus
The Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations, including the Catholic Church, as a time of waiting and
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, Advent begins with the First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent and ends with the First Vespers of Christmas. The first day of Advent also marks the start of a new liturgical year. 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.
Advent is a four-week season dedicated to reflective preparation for the arrival of Jesus Christ. Each week of Advent focuses on a different theme: hope, peace, joy, and love. While the Church does not prescribe "meatless Fridays" during Advent, fasting is still a common practice for Catholics to prepare spiritually for Christmas. Fasting can help individuals focus on the spiritual aspects of the season, overcome temptations, and identify with the sufferings of Christ. It is recommended that before beginning a fasting regimen during Advent, one should consult with a spiritual advisor or the parish priest for guidance and support.
Fasting during Advent typically involves some form of partial fasting, such as abstaining from certain types of food or reducing the quantity of food consumed. In addition to fasting, dancing, and similar festivities were traditionally forbidden during this period. However, on Gaudete Sunday, which marks the halfway point of Advent, relaxation of the fast was permitted.
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Frequently asked questions
The Advent season in the Catholic Church can be as short as three weeks and a day or as long as four weeks. There are always four Sundays of Advent, but the season can be between three and four weeks long, depending on which weekday December 25 falls on that year.
The liturgical colour for Advent is purple, just like Lent, as both are seasons that prepare for great feast days. The colour purple symbolises prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and good works undertaken during this time.
The Advent wreath is a tradition that many Catholic families implement. It has three purple candles and one pink candle. Every week, a new candle is lit, and a special Advent prayer is said. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolises the expectation and hope surrounding the Lord's first coming into the world and the anticipation of his second coming.
