In Christianity, Advent refers to the period of four weeks leading up to Christmas. It begins on the Sunday closest to November 30 (St. Andrew’s Day) and ends on December 24. It is a time of anticipation and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day.
Some people may know that the Advent season focuses on expectation and think it serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. This is part of the story, but there’s more to Advent.
The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “arrival,” which translates to the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (John 1:29), and his first miracle at Cana (John 2:1). During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.
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