And are you waiting for Christmas?
Advent.
A bit of history and traditions.
Today, on Sunday, December 3, 2017, Advent begins for Catholics, Protestants and Lutherans.
This word comes from the Latin adventus, which means coming or coming. The Advent consists of 4 Sundays before Christmas, and ends at sunset on December 24 with the Christmas Eve (Sacred Evening).
The meaning of Advent time is the preparation of the soul and heart for the greatest of religious festivals -
by the night of the birth of Christ.
This is the time of repentance, forgiveness, prayer, time spent in the circle of family and close people.
The invariable symbols of Advent nowadays are the Advent calendar, the Advent Wreath, the Arc of Light (the Candle Arc), and the Variegated Plate.
Christmas has always been and remains the most revered holiday for all Christians.
A month before the holiday, shops and shopping centers are clothed in Christmas paraphernalia, but few know that this commercialized tradition has its deep spiritual roots. In Western Christian culture this special pre-Christmas time was widely spread under the name - Advent.
When is Advent?
The first day of Advent is defined as the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Depending on the year, this day falls for the period from November 27 to December 3.
Each of the four Sundays of Advent has a specific theme, reflected in the evangelical Sunday readings of Scripture at worship in the Church and at home in the family circle.
The Advent period is regarded by the Church as a time of repentance, at this time it is recommended that parishioners perform the sacrament of confession, and the clergy wear vestments of violet color, symbolizing the image of repentance. In addition, during the Advent period, the Church specifically encourages Christians to do charity, to do charity and help those in need.