Monday, December 10, 2007

Advent-Christmas, Meaning, Traditions and Symbols

By : John Basho Pou/IFP 12/9/2007 12:45:53 AM

The spirit of the Advent-Christmas is in the air again, that joyful time of the year when every Christian prepares for Christmas, feast of the birth of Jesus. Church sermons emphasis on the spiritual preparation, Christmas programmes are circulated to its members, children gearing up with cultural items on the great occasion, families plan up new ways of celebrating it this time, students packing up their things to join their family, shopkeepers seeking for something new for Christmas shoppers, gifts shops stocking up with cards and gifts items, there is media hype lending Christmas spirit, people are conjuring up what gifts to give, whom to visit, and so many gathering, activities and parties in the weeks leading up to Christmas celebration.

Though Christians believe the birth of Jesus happened more than 2,000 years ago, local churches are commemorating his earthly arrival though special worship services and giving projects. The first Sunday of every December marks the beginning of Advent, a four-week period of preparation and celebration of the coming of Jesus, and concludes Dec. 23.

Today, 8th December, Christian church around the world observes the second Sunday of the advent season before Christmas. This advent season is the significant weeks in the Church calendar for the reason that in this season, Christians prepare to celebrate the past, prepare to receive Christ into our lives in the present, and prepare for the end of the world and the coming of Heaven with prayer and fasting. it could be said as a mini-lent, a time of fasting and prepare spiritually to receive the birth of the Lord of Lords.

Advent is a time of joyous anticipation, but also of penance and preparation for the great Christmas feast. The liturgical color of the season is purple, a sign of penance, which is also used during Lent. And the Catholic Church discourages excessive ornamentation, boisterous music and even weddings during Advent, in order to foster a sense of quiet hope.

The name of this season is taken from the Latin adventus, which means “coming”, and in the early Church the word was used mainly for Christmas itself, the coming of Jesus, the Son of God, into the world. Gradually, however, adventus began to have a slightly different meaning and referred, as it does today, to the season of preparation for the feast of Christ’s coming to humanity. In the Middle Ages this meaning was extended and His coming was seen in three different ways: His birth at Bethlehem in the past; His second and future coming at the end of time; His present coming through grace into the hearts and souls of His people. And so in Advent we prepare to celebrate the past; we prepare to receive Christ into our lives in the present; and we prepare for the end of the world and the coming of Heaven.

The Advent calendar or Adventhaus began in Scandinavia and Germany, especially in the regions of the Palatinate and Hesse. Its purpose is to help children become aware of the expectancy of Advent. Sometimes the Advent calendar is a picture of a house with 23 small windows and 1 large window that are opened to reveal the tiny religious symbols, icons and pictures behind them. Another variation is to construct a Jacob's ladder that leads step by step to the day of Christ's birth. Every morning or every evening before bedtime, the child opens a window, behind which appears a star, an angel, a manger or some other picture appropriate to the Advent season. (If there are several children in the family, the privilege of opening the windows rotates from one to another.) An appropriate bible verse can serve as a caption to the picture. On the 23rd, all twenty-three small windows are open; the big window remains closed until Christmas Eve, when it is opened to reveal the Holy Child in the manger. When all the windows are opened, stand the calendar in from of a lamp or window. The light will shine through the paper, giving the little house a Christmas glow.....

The Advent wreath is one of our most popular Advent traditions. Its origin is in pre-Christian Germany and Scandinavia where the people gathered to celebrate the return of the sun after the winter solstice. The circular wreath made of evergreens with four candles interspersed represented the circle of the year and the life that endures through the winter. As the days grew longer, people lit candles to offer thanks to the "sun god" for the light. For us, the lighting of the Advent candles represents the promise of the coming of Jesus, the light of the world.

To make an Advent wreath, begin with a Styrofoam circle, available at craft shops, and cut four evenly spaced holes into which you will place the four candles. Traditionally there are three purple candles and one rose candle (for the third Sunday), but blue candles can also be used. Purple reminds us to turn our hearts toward God; rose is a color of joy. Place fresh evergreen branches over the Styrofoam. Replace them when they dry out in order to preserve the symbolism of the vitality of God's love. Encourage children to participate as they are able, by gathering branches, placing candles so on. The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday because in Latin, the first words of the opening antiphon for that day’s Mass are "Gaudete in Domino semper" ("Rejoice in the Lord always"). On this Sunday rose-colored vestments are permitted and the rose-colored candle is lit as a reminder that we are called to rejoice.

An ancient tradition revived in the mid-20th century as an Advent practice, the Jesse Tree represents the family of Jesse, father of King David. Out of this family line, God would take flesh and live among the people of earth. The Gospel of Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:1-17) names a person from each generation before Jesus’ birth. Stories about these people are in the Old Testament. The Jesse Tree itself can be made from paper, cloth, branches or a tabletop Christmas tree. Make or add an ornament each day of Advent to represent the ancestors of Jesus.

The word posada means "shelter" or "lodging." This Advent custom, popular throughout the Spanish-speaking world, reenacts Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and their search for lodging along the way. The ritual lasts for nine days (December 16-24), representing the months of Mary’s pregnancy. A group of people travel from house to house on their route, taking the role of pilgrims seeking lodging. Those inside the homes are innkeepers who refuse them. At the last home all are invited in for prayer and refreshments.

Source: http://ifp.co.in/ArticleFull.asp?ArticleID=201

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