Advent

Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin phrase “Adventus Domini,” meaning “the coming of the Lord.” During Advent, Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In earlier centuries, Advent lasted 40 days and was observed as a period of fasting. People ate sparingly and, for example, avoided meat. Dancing and elaborate celebrations were also forbidden. Weddings held during this time had to be quiet affairs. Pope Gregory, who lived about 1,400 years ago, eventually decreed that Advent should begin on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The four Sundays of Advent were meant to recall the belief of the early Christians that 4,000 years passed between the creation of the world and the birth of Jesus. Since Advent was defined as the four Sundays before Christmas, its length varies from year to year. It begins on a Sunday between November 27 and December 3. The first Sunday of Advent also marks the beginning of the church year. Advent calendars came into use at the beginning of the 20th century. They often begin on December 1 and have 24 little doors. One door is opened each day to reveal a small gift or a thoughtful saying. About 170 years ago, Johann Heinrich Wichern had a wooden chandelier with 23 candles hung in the “Rauhen Haus” in Hamburg. The “Rauhe Haus” was a home for orphaned and neglected street children.

The candle wreath had 23 smaller red candles and 4 thicker white ones. The red candles were lit on weekdays, and the white ones on the Sundays before Christmas. This idea, along with other influences, gave rise to the Advent wreath tradition. Today, it is usually a wreath woven from fir branches, decorated and fitted with 4 candles.

A special tradition developed in the mining regions of Saxony, Thuringia and the Upper Palatinate. During the winter months, miners went down into the mines early in the morning and did not come back up until late afternoon or evening. This meant that they saw no sunlight during that time. Their longing for sunlight was expressed through Schwibbögen, candle-lit arches placed in the windows of houses. The Advent season includes several celebrations that have little or nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. 4 December is the feast day of Saint Barbara. Even today, in some areas, branches are cut from cherry trees on this day. When placed in water in a warm room, they begin to sprout and produce buds that sometimes open right on Christmas Day. The feast of Saint Nicholas is celebrated on 6 December. Over many centuries, he became first Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, then Santa Claus in North America, and eventually Father Christmas around the world, bringing gifts to children and adults.