Meaning of advent (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Advent:

It is known as Advent to the holy time in which the Church celebrates the four Sundays before Christmas. Advent is a time of joy for Christians, characterized by the spiritual preparation of the birth of Jesus.

Advent begins on the closest Sunday of November 30 and ends on December 24, becoming the first time of the Christian liturgical year. The duration of Advent varies between twenty-two and twenty-eight days, time dedicated to reflection, penance and prayer in preparation for receiving the Lord Jesus Christ.

The color used in the Church's liturgy during this time is purple. For their part, the biblical readings at Advent are taken from the prophet Isaiah as from the Old Testament, signaling the arrival of the Messiah.

According to the Bible, the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, indicating that she would soon give birth to a child, the son of God, who would be called Jesus, and his kingdom would have no end. That waiting time is characterized as Advent.

Etymologically, the word Advent is of Latin origin " adventum" which means "arrival ".

Advent wreath

The Advent wreath emerged in the Middle Ages as a symbol of love and light towards God. The Advent wreath is characterized by being a wreath of branches, it can be pine or fir, with four candles, usually they are 3 purple and one pink. The first candle is lit on the first Sunday of Advent and the rest are lit during the following weeks.

The Advent wreath is full of symbolism:

• Its circular shape represents eternity and its color hope. To observe, a red ribbon on the crown, symbolizes the love of God for humanity and the love of the faithful who await the birth of Jesus. The 4 candles represent the four weeks of Advent and are lit on each Sunday of Advent.