Although Christmas is celebrated by just about everyone religious or not the season of advent is celebrated usually only by religious people who celebrate the birth of Christ. Advent is a very important part of Christmas and taken very seriously by the church. The season of advent usually starts the first Sunday after the end of November. Advent is a period of time where people will pray more and rejoice in the coming of rebirth of Jesus. Advent and Lent are the two most important times in the church outside of the actually days of Christmas and Easter.
Advent is celebrated in the church for four weeks were each week represent different parts and events in the bible that happened before the birth of Christ. Advent is officially the last four weeks of the church year and Christmas, not January 1st, is the official start to a new year. The colors purple and pink are the colors used to represent these four weeks and an advent wreath is used as a symbolization of advent.
The advent wreath lies horizontally either suspending in the air hanging from something above it or place on a stand. The wreath is traditionally a wreath with green pine needles with either four or five candle holders in which candles will be placed. All of the candles will be set in their proper places but not all of them will be lit. One candle will be lit each week and once a candle is lit it will stay lit for the remainder of advent.
Three of the candles are purple one candle is pink and if there is a center candle it will be white. Not all wreaths have a place for a fifth candle. The first two candles that will be lit are purple, the third candle lit is the pink one and on the last week of advent the last purple candle will be lit. If there is a place for the white candle then it will be lit either on Christmas Eve or on the day of. The purple is a symbolization that means The Christ, Prince of Peace. The pink candle symbolizes rejoice and the color of dawn. The white candle symbolizes the rebirth of Jesus.
When the season of advent comes around it usually is the time when people will start attending church more, praying more and attending more church function and gatherings to help keep the spirit of Christmas around. People also tend to attend church more often to give thanks for good health, good fortune and good health and fortune to their family. It is also a fact if someone or someone’s family experienced a bad year such a bad health or a loss of job that those people will also start attending church more to pray for a better year. In any event Advent is one of the most important religious times of the year, it is the time that everyone rejoices in the rebirth of Christ.
This article was published on Sunday 11 October, 2009.
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