Advent

The word Advent comes from the Latin word Adventus, sc. Redemptoris, which means "the coming of the Saviour".

Advent, the first season of the Church's year, begins on the Fourth Sunday before Christmas. It is a time of preparation and hope, looking both to the coming of the Birth of Jesus at Christmas, and also to his Coming Again in Glory at the end of time, when all things will be gathered up in him and offered to God the Father.

Christingle

Most Anglican Churches hold a Christingle Service during Advent. The Christingle is made up of an orange, wrapped in ribbon, with a small lit candle and dried fruits or sweets inserted into the orange flesh and skin. The dried fruit and sweets are secured to the Christingle orange using four cocktail sticks. It is designed to appeal to children and each part of the Christingle symbolises:
• The orange represents the world.
• The lighted candle represents Jesus Christ who is seen as the Light of the World who shows us God's love.
• The red ribbon wrapped around the Christingle orange is a symbol of the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for our sins, so it is a symbol of forgiveness.
• The dried fruit and sweets represent the four seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter and the fruits of the earth. (Some say the four points of the compass of North, East, South and West to represent the good things the world provides).

Advent Traditions
There are many traditions surrounding the Advent season. These include:

Advent Ring / Advent Candle

The Advent Ring consists of a large or different coloured candle, usually white or gold, placed in the centre of a circle of holly, evergreens, ivy and fir to form a wreath. The circle of the wreath represents ongoing life. Four coloured candles are placed around the middle candle, near to the outside of the wreath ring. On each Sunday prior to Christmas Day the four outer candles are lit during church services, each in turn for each of the four Sunday’s. i.e on the first Sunday one candle is lit, on the second two are lit, on the third three are lit and four are lit on the fourth Sunday. The middle candle, which symbolises Jesus Christ, is lit on Christmas Day.

The first candle represents the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the first people to be called by God; the second represents the Prophets of the Old Testament, who foretold the coming of the Saviour; the third candle represents John the Baptist, who prepared the people for the coming of Jesus, and was the first to recognise him when he came; the fourth candle represents the Blessed Virgin Mary, who accepted the invitation of God to become the Mother of his Son.

Advent Calendars

Modern children (and some adults!) enjoy opening an advent calendar window each morning from the 1st of December through to the 24th of December, though some have a special window for Christmas Day. Some advent calendars have a picture behind the window, sometimes with a festive or religious message. In others, the windows open to reveal small piece of chocolate shaped into a star, Christmas tree, snowman, etc. Advent calendars originated in Germany in the late 1800s.

Advent (Calendar) Candles

These work on the same principle as an advent calendar in that a decorative candle is marked off with 25 special markings or numbers and the candle is lit each night and the day's length is burnt. The candle is then lit on the 25th and completely burnt.