Author Topic: Famous Christian/Catholic Festivals (Read 861 times)

khurram · « **on:** December 04, 2010, 04:14:05 AM »

Famous Christian/Catholic Festivals

khurram · « **Reply #1 on:** December 04, 2010, 04:14:50 AM »

Lent (Ash Wednesday)

Most of us had not even heard of Lent until the movie Forty Days and Forty Nights hit Indian cinemas, and many of us still don't know what it's all about, or when it occurs.

What is Lent?

Lent is the 40-day period of fasting and abstinence observed by Catholics around the world. This period begins on a Wednesday, which is known as Ash Wednesday, immediately after Mardi Gras, and ends 40 days later (excluding Sundays), on Easter Sunday. This year, 2003, Lent began on the 5th of March, and will end on 19th April. Sundays are not included in Lent, because Jesus was resurrected on a Sunday. Sundays are thus regarded as days of gaiety and celebration; not of mourning and abstinence. Fridays during this period are regarded to be days of penance, because Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Lent essentially signifies 40 days of penance leading up to his crucifixion.

Why forty days?

Moses stayed on the Mountain of God forty days, Jesus prayed and fasted in the wilderness forty days, Elijah reached the cave where he had a vision, after forty days of travel. Hence, the period of forty days has great religious significance amongst Catholics, and amongst various other cultures. According to the Mohammadan Prophet, whoever gets drunk, will have his prayers rejected for forty days. Sufis have shrines, inside which they pray and meditate for forty days, and which are called forty-day rooms. Many Indians, which include Hindus, Muslims and Jains, have fasting periods that last forty days. Similarly, Jesus was resurrected forty hours after his crucifixion. He was crucified at noon on Friday, and came back at 4 a.m. on Sunday. Forty is a traditional number of spiritual testing, in various cultures. Essentially, forty days of Lent signify Christians 'joining' Jesus on his forty-day retreat in the wilderness.

Why is abstinence recommended?

Abstinence is recommended by all religions in some form or the other, as it is believed to helps a person grow spiritually. In addition, it also strengthens will power and builds character. If a person habitually fasts, such a person will be less likely to give in to harmful or sinful temptations that may cross his path.

What do people usually abstain from during Lent?

Amongst the more religious, Lent is regarded as a period of fasting, penance and prayers. Earlier on, it used to be customary to abstain from meat during this period. However, things are more relaxed now. For most Catholics, there are no specific rules and regulations regarding abstinence, though a person is encouraged to abstain from at least one pleasure-giving activity. Generally, people choose to abstain from certain foods such as non-vegetarian food, alcohol, cigarettes or sex. Some people choose to fast (skip a meal) everyday during this time, or on the Fridays falling in the season of Lent. Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent are days of fasting.

Why is the first day of Lent called Ash Wednesday?

To commemorate the beginning of Lent, the pastor usually marks the forehead of Christians with a cross, by using ash, to remind them that they are created from dust, and will return to dust. This ritual echoes the burial words, "Ashes to ashes; dust to dust." Ashes serve as a reminder of our mortality and our need to repent before this life is over.

khurram · « **Reply #2 on:** December 04, 2010, 04:15:12 AM »

Good Friday

The day of Good Friday is observed as a day of fasting and penance in the memory of crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This day symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Read on to know more about this day.

A day of mourning

Every year I get many phone calls from people who want to wish me on Good Friday. They are not to be blamed, for the name is misleading. They assume that if it is 'Good' Friday, something good must have happened on this day. They are quite astonished when I tell them that this is a day of mourning for the Christians as Christ was crucified on this day. "Then what's good about it?" they ask. I tell them that the death of Christ symbolizes the victory of good over evil, but that explanation somehow leaves them more puzzled than before.

Ever since I was a child, Good Friday meant dragging myself out of bed on a school holiday to attend a three hour church service at the end of which we would get hot cross buns and 'kanji' or rice water. The Friday before Easter, known as Good Friday, is observed as a day of fasting and penance every year in memory of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This custom goes back as early as the 2nd century.

Reliving the pain

On this day, the church commemorates Jesus' arrest, his trial, crucifixion and suffering, death, and burial. Since services on this day are to observe Jesus' death, and since Eucharist is a celebration, there is traditionally no Communion observed on Good Friday. In addition, all pictures, statues, and the cross in churches are covered in mourning black. The priest and the choir wear black cassocks and the chancel and altar coverings are replaced with black. Even the altar candles are extinguished. They are left this way through Saturday, but are always replaced with more white or other festive colours on Easter Sunday.

In our church, the three-hour service consists of reading passages from the Gospel about the Seven Last Words of Jesus. Each reading is followed by a message from the priest, a few minutes of silent meditation and a hymn. Good Friday services are aimed at allowing worshippers to experience some sense of the pain and humiliation that Christ experienced on this day so many centuries ago and the service ends in the journey to the cross.

While our service is for three hours, there are other churches that go on for almost six hours. The traditional Catholic service for Good Friday was held in mid-afternoon to correspond to the final words of Jesus from the cross. However, modern schedules have led many churches to shift the service to a more convenient time to allow more people to participate.

The Seven Last Words of Christ

The Seven Last Words of Christ are read from the following Bible passages:
Father, forgive them . . . (Luke 3:34)
This day you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43)
Woman, behold your son . . .(John 19:26-27)
My God, my God . . . (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34)
I thirst. (John 19:28)
It is finished! (John 19:30)
Father into your hands . . . (Luke 23:46)

Some churches use the Stations of the Cross as part of the Good Friday Service. This service uses paintings or banners or even actual re-enactments to represent various scenes from Jesus' betrayal, arrest, trial, and death, and the worshippers move to the various stations to sing hymns or pray as the story is told. There is a great variety in how this service is conducted, and various traditions use different numbers of stations to tell the story.

The Service of Darkness

Another common service for Good Friday is Tenebrae (Latin for "shadows" or "darkness"), also known as the Service of Darkness or Service of Shadows. It is usually held in the evening of Good Friday. As the service progresses through the Scripture readings and meditation, the lights and/or candles are gradually extinguished to symbolize the growing darkness not only of Jesus' death but also of hopelessness in the world without God. The service ends in darkness, sometimes with a single candle, the Christ candle, being carried out of the sanctuary, to symbolize the death of Jesus.

Some churches observe communion on Good Friday. However, traditionally Eucharist is not served on Good Friday since it is a celebration of thanksgiving. Good Friday is not a day of celebration but of mourning, both for the death of Jesus and for the sins of the world that his death represents. Yet, although Friday is a solemn time, it is not without its own joy, as the somberness of Good Friday should always be seen with the hope of Easter Sunday. I guess that's what's good about Good Friday.

khurram · « **Reply #3 on:** December 04, 2010, 04:15:51 AM »

Easter
An Easter is an auspicious day when Resurrection of Jesus had taken place after his crucifixion. It is celebrated after 40-days period of Lent which is associated with Good Friday. Read to know more about significance.

A day of celebration

After a 40-day period of Lent that is associated with fasting and penance and the prolonged mourning of Good Friday, Christians celebrate Easter with great joy and festivity. Easter is a day of rejoicing for the Christians as they celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion.

The origins of Easter date to the beginnings of Christianity, but is not clear how the word 'Easter' came to be. One theory is that it has been coined from the name of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre, by the Anglo-Saxon priest Venerable Bede in the 8th century
Easter usually falls between March 22 and April 25 every year.

The Easter vigil

Easter Sunday mass did not exist in the early church. What is celebrated today as Easter occurred during the night hours preceding dawn on Sunday, the Easter Vigil. In the 2nd century, the Sunday Eucharist was preceded by a vigil service of Scripture readings and psalms. According to the practice of the Roman Catholic church, this vigil consists of the blessing of the new fire (a practice introduced during the early Middle Ages); the lighting of the paschal candle; a service of lessons, called the prophecies; followed by the blessing of the font and baptisms and then the mass of Easter. In a lot of churches, including Protestant churches, the first mass of Easter begins at midnight.

Among the Eastern Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches, the vigil service is preceded by a procession outside the church representing a fruitless search for the body of Christ. Then comes the joyful announcement, "Christ is risen," followed by the
Easter Eucharist. When the procession first leaves the church, there are no lights anywhere, but on its return hundreds of candles and coloured lamps are lighted to show the splendour of Christ's Resurrection.

Easter and baptism

The connection between baptism and Easter can be traced to the church's first centuries. During this time the whole of Lent was not only a time of penance but also the period during which the catechumens (persons to be baptized) were prepared for baptism, which was given only once a year, at Easter. For the six weeks preceding Easter the catechumens were instructed in the Christian faith. The catechumenate came to an end with the solemn baptisms of the Easter vigil. This is the explanation of the present practice of the long ceremony of blessing the font on Easter night and of the great emphasis on baptism and its meaning and the many allusions to it still present in the
Easter services.

Popular customs

There are many folk customs and traditions associated with Easter, many of which have been handed down from the ancient ceremonies and symbolism of European and Middle Eastern pagan spring festivals. There is a link between spring and Easter, the day of resurrection, as they both represent the birth of new life.

In the early church, those who were baptized at the Easter Vigil were dressed in a white robe. They would wear that robe throughout the whole Easter week as a symbol of their new life. Those who had been previously baptized, did not wear white robes, but would wear new clothes to indicate their share in the new life of Christ.

During the Middle Ages in Europe, people in their new Easter clothes would take a long walk after Easter Mass. This was a kind of procession preceded by a crucifix of the Easter Candle. The tradition evolved into Easter Parades.

In many parts of the world people serve traditional breads and pastries at Easter. Very often these breads and pastries, together with meat and eggs, are blessed on Holy Saturday. An Italian custom is to make a simple sweet bread dough shaped in the form of a chick, bunny, or doll. These breads are baked with a whole egg placed in the "tummy" of the form and frosted with egg yolk. The whole family is involved in the making of these Easter breads. They are brought to the Easter Vigil to be blessed and are given as gifts on Easter Sunday to young friends and relatives.

The Easter egg

For instance, eggs, formerly forbidden to be eaten during Lent, have been prominent as symbols of new life and resurrection. In ancient Egypt and Persia friends exchanged decorated eggs at the spring equinox as they have always been symbols of creation, fertility and new-life, marking the beginning of the new year. Even today on Easter day people gift each other brightly coloured and decorated Easter eggs. For Christians of the Near East, the Easter egg represented the tomb from which Jesus broke forth. They were often coloured red to symbolize the blood of Christ by which all believers were given a share in the new life of Christ. As part of the Easter festivities, Easter eggs are often hidden and left for the children to find.

The Easter bunny

Rabbits were also a pre-Christian fertility symbol. Often they were used as images of Christ's post-resurrection appearances. These appearances were likened to the rabbits being seen and then disappearing and then being seen again somewhere else. The first mention of the Easter Bunny and his eggs seems to have come from Germany in the late 1500's. In many sections of Germany, the belief was that the Easter bunny laid red eggs on Holy Thursday and multi-colored eggs the night before Easter Sunday.

Easter lilies

In early Christian art, the lily is a symbol of purity because of its delicacy of form and its whiteness. The white trumpet lily, which blooms naturally in springtime, was brought to America from Bermuda. They are popularly called "Easter Lilies" because they bloom around Easter time. The American public quickly made it a symbolic feature of the Easter celebration.

khurram · « **Reply #4 on:** December 04, 2010, 04:16:15 AM »

All About Easter

It's easy to get your children involved in Easter celebrations. Not only will they be creatively occupied, but their knowledge about this charming tradition will also increase.

All most non-Christian Indians know about Easter is that it occurs on a Sunday, and has something to do with eggs. It's easy to get your children involved in Easter celebrations. Not only will they be creatively occupied, but their knowledge about this charming tradition will also increase.

When is Easter?

Easter is known as the 'movable feast', since does not follow the Roman calendar but occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon after March 21, the spring equinox. As a result it can occur as early as March 22, or as late as April 25! It also signifies the end of the 40-day period of Lent, which is associated with fasting and penance. This year Easter is on April 11, 2004, so start preparing!

How can I get my child involved?

There are numerous ways your child can participate in Easter celebrations:

CRAFTS

Egg Painting
In Greece, eggs are painted crimson and exchanged, to honour the blood shed by Jesus. However, in most other parts of the world eggs are usually painted in bright, sunny colours - the colours of Spring. Gold and silver are favourites. Get your children to paint on eggs with poster paints, much more fun than painting on paper!

Egg Decorations
Although painted eggs make great decoration, your kids could get even more creative and try this. Make a hole in the eggshell by piercing it with a needle. Blow out the contents into a bowl. Then, paint on the hollow egg shell. These painted balls can be used as decoration and hung from the leaves of plants or trees in your home and garden.

Egg Basket
It is fairly simple to make a basket with a cardboard sheet. Take a rectangular cardboard sheet, and draw another rectangle on it, leaving around three inches from the sides. Dent the cardboard slightly by going over the rectangle you have drawn with a paper knife. Fold in the cardboard, cutting out the extra card at the corners. Secure it firmly with tape. Then, take a long cardboard strip, making sure it is not too thin, and wrap it up with colourful glazed paper. Then, secure it to the sides to make a handle. Fill up the inside with a layer of cotton and sheets of coloured glaze paper.

GAMES

Easter Egg Hunt
Invite your children's friends over for an Easter egg hunt. They will need to bring a basket with them, or you can provide them with one. Hide eggs around your garden or around the public park, and ask the children to find them. The child who finds the most eggs wins a prize. Needless to say, you will need to have numerous eggs all painted and ready for the egg hunt!

Easter Egg Roll
Ask the kids to roll their eggs. The egg which rolls the farthest distance without breaking, wins the prize! To avoid the eggs colliding with one another, let each child roll his egg separately. He can then mark the distance with a chalk. This should keep the kids busy at play for a long time!

Although such games and crafts are rarely celebrated by non-Christians in India, your kids are sure to enjoy them. It would be a change from their regular games of Hide n Seek and Catch, and your children will be learning about a holiday widely celebrated around the world, hence becoming more globally aware.

khurram · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2010, 04:16:45 AM »

The Tradition of Carols

Although all of us know that carols are sung on Christmas, not many know the tradition behind caroling. Caroling is one of the oldest Christmas customs. The word 'carol' comes from the French word 'carole' which means a song that accompanies a dance. In medieval times, carolers would form a circle and dance, singing songs, which is why the term 'carole' was adopted. Every Christmas, in homes across the world, families get together and sing Christmas carols, which are songs about the birth of Christ, the Christmas season and the associated celebrations.

These songs were originally written to accompany Christmas dramas. Now, groups of elders and children go visiting houses, singing carols and collecting money, which is sent to charity. The tradition of carol singers going from door to door came about because people were banned from singing carols in churches in the Middle Ages. Also, sometime between 1647 and 1660, Christmas carols were banned in England by Oliver Cromwell who thought that Christmas should be a solemn day.

The most popular and best selling Christmas song of all time is White Christmas, by Irving Berlin. Around 350 million records and copies of this song were sold. Close behind comes Silent Night, possibly the most enchanting of all Christmas Carols. The carol Silent Night was written in 1818, by Joseph Mohr, an Austrian priest. Every year, on Christmas eve, members of the little church in Austria would sing carols on Christmas eve, to the accompaniment of the church organ. That year, Mohr was told one day before Christmas eve, that the church organ was broken and could not be repaired in time for Christmas Eve. Mohr was naturally greatly upset, as he could not think of Christmas without carols.

He then sat down and decided that he would write a carol that could be sung by the choir, to guitar music. Perhaps it was his love or dedication, but the three verses of Silent Night were since immortalized. They were heard for the first time on the eve of Christmas in 1818, and created a stir. In Australia, carols are popularly sung by candlelight. Christmas falls in the summer in Australia, and an outdoor concert is often held on Christmas Eve in a stadium in Melbourne. Everyone brings their own candles, and people start entering the stadium by around 5. When the sun sets, the audience is told to light their candles.

Essentially, the entire event is a spectacular performance, and the show includes a Santa Claus complete with costume, reindeer et al. Earlier on, entrance would be free, but then as the event gained in popularity and received sponsorship from various television channels, a charge was levied for admission to the event. All profits go to charity. This Midnight Carols by Candlelight show is widely televised throughout Australia and the world. Aussies from across the globe tune in at around 7:30 pm Australian time to catch this much loved show, as they sing along in their homes. New Zealand too has a similar tradition of carols by candlelight, but entrance to the stadiums here is free. Profits are made by the sale of candles. This tradition of carols by candlelight has continued for sixty years!

khurram · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2010, 04:17:18 AM »

New Year with Kids

Try to make this year's New Year celebration truly memorable, not just for you, but for your kids as well. Here are some ideas.

You probably have your plans for the New Year all chalked out. Some may plan to leave town and spend the New Year with their family at some beautiful destination, some plan to put the kids to sleep and spend the night partying with friends while others plan to just stay at home watching television. Whatever you choose, try to make this year's New Year celebration truly memorable, not just for you, but for your kids as well. Here are some ideas.

Don't get caught up into thinking that memorable means 'big'. Huge celebrations tend to be overwhelming for children and they get lost in the grandeur of the event or in the elabourate planning process. Yes, children may have fun, but if your plans don't let families really bond, connect and think about the significance of the occasion you are celebrating with such enthusiasm, consider doing something else. If you decide to take a trip across the country and spend most of your free time making the bookings, arranging accommodation, transportation, and then undergo stress once you reach, trying to ensure everything works out fine, its just not worth it. You may have a better time going to a resort on the outskirts of your town. So if you want to get out of town try and go somewhere close. Leave the long hauls for when you can take a long vacation or when your children have their summer holidays.

You may choose to spend New Year's Eve with friends, which is fine too. Then keep New Year's Day, 1st January, to spend with your children. Try and do something together as a family. Although you may believe that sitting together in the living room watching television qualifies as bonding time, it is not so. Plan fun things that you can do together. Hiking is really enjoyable, and it gives you a chance to really experience the city you live in or the place you are visiting. So spend your New Year's Day hiking with your children - if you are not too hungover from last night's party. If you don't have the inclination or energy to go for a hike, go through an old family album and tell your children stories from your past. Try not to run down any relatives though.

You could also create your own tradition this New Year. If you have a garden, consider spending the day gardening. You could also let your child select a tree, and then help him plant it. Do this every year, on New Year's Day.

Better yet, bond over cooking! Let each child cook his favourite dish for the family. Your children could select their favourite dishes in the morning, and then you could take them shopping for ingredients. They can then prepare the dish for dinner!

Spend the day making a family journal with your children. Collect photographs taken through the previous year, and jot down memories associated with the photographs. Also, write about significant events and changes that happened during the year. Encourage your children to be creative and include any keepsake in the journal. Your daughter can include put a lock of hair of her favourite doll, while your son can put in a photograph of his dream car or dream house.

khurram · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2010, 04:18:20 AM »

Celebrate Chirstmas

Get into the spirit of Christmas with your kids. You don't have to be a Christian to celebrate the festival of love and giving. Here's how they can have a great time.

People often say that no one enjoys Christmas as much as children do, and with good reason. They are all too often caught up in the wonderful world of Santa Clause and presents - and which child doesn't enjoy receiving presents?

Carols

Take your child to the church to listne to Christmas carols. It doesn't matter if you are a Christian or not - what matters is that your child gets into the sprit of celebration, and gets an insight into another culture. Your child is also sure to enjoy herself tremendously, and will come back home having perhaps learnt a few Christmas carols herself! And wouldn't you rather she hum these songs every now and again, instead of the same tunes from the latest Hindi movies?

Dinner

Christmas is a festival often celebrated with family. In addition, we all have a holiday on this holy day. Try and make the most of this holiday by inviting family and close friends over to your house on dinner, or by simply making it an unforgettable event for your children by getting home a Christmas tree, and spending the evening decorating it.

Decorations

Remember, your children will in all likelihood have a couple of weeks off from school to celebrate the festival. Go shopping with them for a small Christmas tree and some decorations. They could then have fun decorating the tree.

Cards

Encourage creativity by asking them to draw their own Christmas cards. This should keep them gainfully occupied for a fair amount of time. You could then send out these cards to close friends and family.

Presents

Give your child a small amount of money, and let them shop for Christmas presents for their close friends. You could also speak to the parents of these friends, and let them know what you are planning to do. Fix a small budget amongst yourselves. You could have these friends over for dinner on Christmas eve, and place all presents around the Christmas tree. They could exchange the presents at midnight, or earlier if the friends need to leave. Make it a point not to get caught up in this shopping. Leave the choice entirely to your children. This will not only incuclate values of generosity and giving, but also of a sense of responsibility. They will try and find out from their friends what they like, and will accordingly take time out to purchase something for them, making sure they stick to the budget.

Hindus in India exchage presents during Diwali. These presents mainly take the form of sweets, and children are not invovled. Their involement in Diwali is limited to the extent of burning firecrackers with their friends, and participating in a puja. Christmas is a good time to get your children involved in the giving and taking of presents. Malls will also be well lit up and in all likelihood, your kids are sure to come across a few Santa Clauses. If they were actually involved in the process of Christmas shopping rather than just looking in from an outsider's point of view, they will no doubt enjoy themselves a lot more.

khurram · « **Reply #8 on:** December 04, 2010, 04:18:46 AM »

Merry Christmas

It's the season to be jolly, so put on your holiday cheer and encourage your children to join the rest of the world in celebrating this festival of love.

The season of love and cheer, Christmas, is almost here. While many here in India don't celebrate this festival as it is outside the boundaries of their religion, consider celebrating it in your own way. After all, the message of Christmas is love and generosity. It tries to teach you that there is a joy in giving to others, which is why the tradition of exchanging gifts.

Needless to say, this season has become incredibly commercial and its no longer about the message of Christmas, but its about holidays and presents.

Celebrate Christmas in your own unique way. Here's how you can avoid falling into the commercial trap.

Cards

Instead of ordering a bunch of cards from your nearest store, have your child draw out the cards by hand, and post them to close friends and relatives. You will need:
Handmade chart paper
Copies of a family photograph
Colouring felt pens or pencils
A gold or silver pen

All your child needs to do is cut out the chart paper into card-sized sheets. She can then stick a family photograph in the center of the card, and decorate around the photograph with her felt pens or colour pencils. She could also use various other decorating material like ribbons, buttons, leaves and so on. The text inside the card that wishes them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year can be in the gold or silver pen.

This makes a great creative project for your child. She will also feel a sense of responsibility, as she knows she has to get the cards ready by a certain date. This could be her delegated task for the holidays.

Naturally if you have to get a huge number of cards posted your child will not be able to sit and make them all and you may have to order them. But do try and involve your child with making at least a few cards this season.

Gifts

We have a number of festivals here in India that call for exchanging gifts like Eid, Diwali and Christmas, just to name a few. So if you don't celebrate Christmas, the last thing you need is to adopt the tradition of gift giving. Running out and buying presents for everyone is stressful, to say the least. However, what's nice about gift giving on Christmas is that the presents given are always personal and a lot of thought generally goes into selecting a present. However, on Diwali, presents are normally standard, and often involve exchange of sweets. If you want your children to experience Christmas but don't want to go overboard, then you could fix a nominal price limit like Rs. 100 or Rs. 50 with other parents, and decide that no one should spend over that limit.

Carols

One of the ways your children can experience this joyous festival is by singing carols. Teach your children a few Christmas carols, and encourage them to get together with their friends and put up a small performance for all the families or the community.

khurram · « **Reply #9 on:** December 04, 2010, 04:19:12 AM »

Advent - The Season before Christmas

Advent is a holy season of the Church, celebrated before Christmas. Read on to learn more about this time.

According to the Christian church, the time before Christmas is meant to be spent preparing for the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, otherwise known as the festival of Christmas. This time is referred to as Advent and is celebrated in churches throughout the world. The entire period of Advent lasts for 40 days. It concludes on December 24 i.e. Christmas Eve.

Significance of Advent

Advent is derived from the Latin word 'Adventus', which means coming. Advent has a dual significance. It is primarily to remember the Hebrews or Israelites who waited for their saviour to be born. Advent is also celebrated to enable today's Christians to prepare themselves for the second coming of Jesus Christ. The second coming has various interpretations among Christian denominations. Most common interpretations sum it up as an event that will fulfil aspects of Messianic prophecy. The prophecy includes the general resurrection of the dead, last judgment of the dead and the living and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (also called the "Reign of God"), including the Messianic Age.

Traditions Associated with Advent

Advent lasts for around four weeks and always includes four Sundays, which are termed as Advent Sundays. On each Sunday, a special candle is lit, which has its own theme. The first Sunday of Advent is usually reserved for the theme of hope. It may also include a segment dealing with biblical prophecies regarding the second coming of the Lord. The other three Sundays usually deal with themes that focus on the festival of Christmas itself. Some examples are peace, joy, love, compassion, etc. On Christmas Eve, a fifth candle is lit. This candle is white or gold, and is called as Christ's candle. It is lit to signify the birth of Jesus Christ.

Generally, the colour of the candles on the first, second, and fourth Sundays is purple or blue. The colour of the candle lit on the third Sunday is often red or pink. This is because this Sunday is celebrated as Gaudette Sunday. This is a day of joy since the arrival of the Lord is near. The Advent colours influence even the priest's robes. During the period of Advent, a priest wears violet-coloured robes. Only on the third Sunday, he wears rose-coloured robes to mark Gaudette Sunday.

During Advent, the liturgy is based on the specific themes. The theme for the mass, the readings, gospel, and sermon are chosen accordingly.

Advent Celebrations

The first Sunday of Advent is considered to be the beginning of the Christian liturgical year as per the Western Christian calendar. This calendar is followed in most countries of the world. Some eastern European countries follow the Eastern Christian calendar, where the liturgical year begins in the first week of September.

Advent traditionally begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Therefore, the first Sunday of Advent must always be between November 27 and December 3. The season concludes on Christmas Eve. If this day falls on Sunday, then Christmas Eve is considered as the fourth Sunday of Advent.

In Roman Catholic churches, priests wear robes of a deep purple colour during Advent. On the third Sunday, they wear red-coloured robes to celebrate the joyous coming of Christ. In some churches belonging to other Christian denominations, priests wear blue robes rather than purple. This is because they follow the Sarum rite rather than the Roman one.

In the fourth century, Advent began to be declared as a period of fasting, similar to that carried out during Lent. In some areas, fasting began on November 11, the day of St. Martin of Tours. Hence, the fasting at Advent also came to be known as St. Martin's fast or the forty days of St. Martin. In modern times, the church has relaxed its rules and fasting during Advent is no longer compulsory. However, this period is still considered to be one of repentance.

In the weekdays between December 17 and December 24, Advent antiphons are sung during the evening prayer in church. An antiphon is a response sung in the form of a Gregorian chant. These antiphons form the basis for the Advent hymn 'O come Emmanuel'.

Most people tend to focus only on Christmas day. However, the celebration of Advent is what gives meaning to the true joy of Christmas.