We are now in the season of Advent. Whether you are Christian or not, these days before Christmas are commonly known as Advent. The reason most people know the term Advent comes from the proliferation of Advent Calendars. A countdown to December 25, usually beginning on December 1, is marked by opening little doors on a calendar or the tops of small boxes on a container listing the days of the month.
A traditional Advent Calendar has small chocolates inside the tiny compartments of the daily schedule. But now you can get just about anything inside an Advent Calendar. Lego surprises are common. You can also get Harry Potter miniatures. David’s Tea provides a packet for each day. If the calendar is a little larger, you can discover 24 skin care products or cookies or Christmas ornaments to hang on your tree. There are beer and wine shots in some calendars to sample each day. I found a website that listed the 5 Best Whiskey Advent Calendars. The site states that the editors independently researched and tested each whiskey used.
How can I get that job?
And if you are so inclined, there are Cannabis Advent Calendars. I remember back in 2017 when I first heard about such things. CannaCalendar in BC offered an Advent Calendar with twenty-five 0.5 gram samples of various strains of marijuana for each day. Now there are numerous sites offering such calendars.
The term “advent” was first used in English speaking areas around the 12th century. The word comes from the Latin advenire, meaning “to arrive.” Advent became the term designating the days before the Christmas celebrations, which began December 25.
The season we call Advent has more ancient roots than the 1100’s. In the 4th century the Eastern Church [what we would consider Orthodox Christianity] had a period of preparation for those adults being baptized on the festival of The Epiphany (January 6). The days of catechesis started early in November. This tradition morphed into a period of preparation for the Nativity (December 25). According to the Councils of Tours (565 AD) and Macon (581 AD) this pre-Christmas time extended from November 11 to December 24.
Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome from 590-604 AD, established the practice of having four Sunday masses prior to Christmas, each with their own motif. It was a time of festive and joyful preparation. Advent themes revolved around the “arrival” or “comings” of Christ. The season looks back, looks around, and looks forward. The Christian focus today is on three themes over four Sundays: the 2nd advent of Christ at the end of time, the 1st advent of Christ in his birth at Bethlehem, and the current coming of Christ in the worship and rituals of the Church.
Advent is a time of waiting. It helps develop patience. Patience is a trait most of us could learn to improve and practice more often. Using an Advent Calendar, of any type, teaches you to wait patiently for each day to arrive before you open the door or top of the day’s calendar number. We learn to wait quietly, passively, and attentively.
Advent is also about hope. For centuries, the people of Israel awaited their Anointed One, the Messiah. He would arrive to release them from bondage and subjugation. The Messiah would then initiate a new beginning in their lives. It was this hope that gave meaning to their existence. The Christian Church proclaims Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfillment of this Advent hope.
So, as we count the days until Christmas, we can use the time of Advent to develop patient hope. Even in the midst of the dark times of Winter and the gloomy days of the current pandemic, there can be a patient hope as we prepare for the celebrations to come.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
