The Tradition Of The Advent

Advent is the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, or, in other cases, from December 1st to Christmas Day! In Latin, Advent signifies ‘coming.’ This was when Jesus was born into the world. Christians use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare for and recall the true spirit of Christmas.

The “advent” is the 40-day Nativity Fast in Eastern Orthodoxy, which differs from Western customs. This is the phrase used throughout the New Testament to describe Christ’s Second Coming. The term comes from the Latin word ‘adventus,’ meaning “coming/arrival,” which translates to ‘parousia’ in Greek.

As a result, the Christian calendar’s Advent period awaits the “coming of Christ” from three angles:

• The physical Nativity in Bethlehem
• The receiving of Christ in the listener’s heart
• The messianic Second Coming