What Is Advent
Discover the true meaning of Advent and why it’s a beautiful time to prepare your heart for Christmas. Learn about Advent traditions, the celebration of Christ’s birth, and the anticipation of His second coming.
Today marks the first day of Advent, a cherished tradition celebrated by many Christians worldwide. But what exactly is Advent? How did it begin, and what does it symbolize? More importantly, what does Advent mean for us in our modern lives? Join me as we explore this meaningful four-week period leading up to Christmas and uncover the true essence of Advent.
What Is Advent?
Today marks the first day of Advent, a cherished tradition celebrated by Christians worldwide. But what exactly is Advent? How did it begin? What does it symbolize? And most importantly, what does Advent mean for us today? Let’s explore this meaningful four-week period before Christmas and uncover its true purpose.
The Origins Of Advent
Advent begins on the Sunday closest to November 30th, the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle, and continues for four consecutive Sundays leading up to Christmas. Its starting and ending dates vary from year to year.
The tradition of Advent likely began in the fourth century as a time of preparation for baptism. By the Middle Ages, Advent started on November 11, the feast day of Saint Martin, and extended through Christmas Day. This period was marked by fasting, prayer, and reflection, with a strong focus on the anticipation of Christ’s second coming.
In more recent history, the emphasis of Advent has shifted toward celebrating the Nativity of Jesus. Today, it is a season of joyful anticipation and spiritual preparation for Christmas Day.
Symbols Of Advent
One of the most recognized symbols of Advent is the Advent wreath. Ancient northern Europeans used circles of evergreen adorned with lit candles to symbolize life and hope during the darkest days of winter. Christians adopted this practice by the 16th century, transforming it into the Advent wreath we use today.
A traditional Advent wreath features four candles: three purple and one pink. Each candle is lit on successive Sundays, representing:
- Hope (purple, Week 1)
- Peace (purple, Week 2)
- Joy (pink, Week 3)
- Love (purple, Week 4)
In some wreaths, a central white candle is added, symbolizing Christ, the Light of the World, and is lit on Christmas Day.
In our home, we often use white candles in our Advent wreath, reflecting its timeless message while adding our personal touch. Lighting the Advent wreath each week serves as a meaningful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.
The True Meaning Of Christmas
Advent is a season of readiness—a time to reflect, prepare, and turn our hearts toward God. As we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus, we also remember the many prophecies fulfilled in His first coming.
FOR A CHILD WILL BE BORN TO US, A SON GIVEN TO US, AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL REST UPON HIS SHOULDERS. AND HIS NAME WILL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, ETERNAL FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. Isaiah 9:6
AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US AND WE SAW HIS GLORY, THE GLORY OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH. John 1:14
THEREFORE, THE LORD HIMSELF WILL GIVE YOU A SIGN; BEHOLD A VIRGIN WILL BE WITH CHILD AND BEAR A SON AND HE WILL BE CALLED IMMANUEL (WHICH MEANS “GOD WITH US”). Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1 22-23.
These fulfilled prophecies, just a few of many, remind us that God’s promises are sure and steadfast.
Looking Ahead: The Second Advent
Advent is not only a time to celebrate Jesus’ first coming but also to prepare for His second coming. The Bible is filled with prophecies about this future event:
“MEN OF GALILEE,” THEY SAID. “WHY DO YOU STAND THERE LOOKING INTO THE SKY? THIS SAME JESUS WHO HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM YOU INTO HEAVEN, WILL COME BACK IN THE SAME WAY YOU HAVE SEEN HIM GO INTO HEAVEN.” Acts 1:11
MAY GOD HIMSELF, THE GOD OF PEACE, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH. MAY YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY BE KEPT BLAMELESS AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST. 1 Thessalonians 5:23
And Jesus said…
BEHOLD, I AM COMING SOON. MY REWARD IS WITH ME AND I GIVE TO EVERYONE ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE. I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE BEGINNING AND THE END. Revelation 22:12-13
While Jesus’ first coming was to seek and save the lost, His second coming will bring judgment and establish His eternal reign. For those saved by His grace, this is a source of hope and assurance.
Jesus said THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST. Luke 19:10
Keeping Advent In Focus
In the flurry of holiday preparations—decorating our homes, buying gifts, planning meals—it’s easy to lose sight of the spiritual significance of Advent. Let’s not forget the most important preparation: the preparation of our hearts.
Advent offers a sacred opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ first coming as Savior and to anticipate His return as King. Take time this season to find an Advent devotional, light a wreath, or spend a few moments in quiet prayer.
May this Advent season draw us closer to God and fill our hearts with the hope, peace, joy, and love that only He can provide.
Let’s use this Advent to reflect and remember Jesus’ first coming as we celebrate Christmas and prepare ourselves for Jesus’ second coming as King Of Kings!
You can go online to find great Advent devotionals to help you prepare your heart during this holy time of the year!
Thankyou for this wonderful post, it gave me a ‘nudge’ for sure…x
In the Orthodox Christian Church, our Nativity Fast or Advent lasts 40 days, beginning on November 15. It similarly symbolizes the incarnation of the Word, the coming on earth of the greatest man that ever lived, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Let all our Advent preparations be to His Glory!
Thank you. Advent is not often publicly acknowledged. Let’s keep it in our hearts and mind.
Yvonne, It warms my heart to know that EVERY Sunday I can look forward to your message for the week. How fabulous for me that you also are a great cook, creative designer, gracious host, and a good writer! Happy Sunday to you!
Thank you. May the peace, love, joy and hope of this Blessed season be with you throughout the holidays and the year to come.
While the decorating and styling work you do in your home and share with us in wonderful…your best work is done with your Sunday message. Always heartfelt and easy to understand for anyone~whether they are a believer or not~so nice to wake up to this message before heading to church each Sunday. Happy Sunday to you and your family.
Thank you, none has ever explained that to me before, and I will prepare my heart for Christmas. Blessings to you and your family.
I was fortunate enough to see The Miracle of Christmas at the Sight and Sound theater this weekend. The show was amazing and so beautifully reminded me of what we really are celebrating. That coupled with your post is a wonderful way for me to begin the Christmas season. It really isn’t all about the hustle and bustle of shopping, but about love.
Happy Sunday!
Great minds think alike Yvonne! I am talking about Advent today too. 🙂 Have a wonderful Advent season!
I want to thank you Yvonne for your stand for Jesus Christ! Thank you for sharing about Advent! I never really knew that. I love how you share Christ’s love for others! God bless you!
Babette
Love the season of Advent. Have my wreath and candles all ready to be lit. Thank you for the wonderful teaching.
Thank you for this post, Yvonne. Our pastor preached on this very subject of Advent last night. So often we go through rituals and never think about the deeper meaning. Advent is a time for this weary world to rejoice! God IS with us!
I love the lessons that you talk about each Sunday! I try to pass them on to family each week! We have a discussion about them at dinner on Sunday! This week will be so much more interesting for us. We usually go to Mass as 6:oo pm. but dinner is at 3:00! We are blessed and thank you! Have a meaningful Advent!
I am so delighted to read this post!! I didn’t grow up celebrating advent. When my girls became old enough to understand the concept I began looking for ideas. I ended up tweaking several ideas to fit our family. The idea of the wreath has always confused me some. I love how you explained it! I see more tweaking to our traditions during advent this year. I think as Christians we should all focus more on advent than we tend to do. Another tradition that I have also been confused about is the yule log or the buche de noel. Thank you for sharing the details about the meaning of Advent!
Thank you for this post, Yvonne. Our Advent wreath is ready to begin burning the first candle today. It makes my heart and soul happy.
I have never studied Advent, so this was very interesting. Thank you.
Yvonne, Blessed is how I feel each Sunday as I read your post. Blessed I am for finding Stonegable Blog, Blessed for you to give me such pleasure daily, yes I’m very Blessed. God Bless you and yours.
God bless you, Yvonne.
Great message! Thank you!
Well said.
Be Blessed.
Thank you for your message this morning. It encouraged me to go to church which is always a good thing. Bless you this Advent season.
Your post about Advent was excellent. May I excerpt part and use it in our church newsletter? I would give you credit. Thanks.
My high school –well just a few of us–have finished an email study of Revelation and now are doing an advent short study for the week to help us prepare our hearts for Christ coming to be our Savior and for Him coming back to meet us in the sky when He comes for us. How wonderful to prepare and doing an advent devotional nightly brings the Lord into our home. Thank you for your post. You word everything so well. God bless you.
So brilliant, and such a timely reminder. Many thanks.
Loved this Advent post especially your centerpiece. Would love to see you start with ONE candle and add one each Sunday until you place the large one in the middle. The countdown…..
Thank you for continuing to talk about Jesus Christ. I love that you are bold for Him and that you share the most important info we can have in this world – how to be saved by the blood of Christ. It is a wonderful thing you do in sharing and taking the time out of your days to spread the word. Thank you! I would also love to see an Advent wreath I can make for my home to remember Advent in a meaningful way. Thanks in advance.
Greetings from an avid reader from Guatemala!
Advent is also observed by every Christian Catholic here in Guatemala. Did you know the Gospel that one reads on those four Sundays changes from year to year? This Christmas season it is the Gospel of Luke (cycle C). Then, the day before Christmas (December 24th), before 6 in the evening, one does the final reading and praying and light the last candle (usually white) that symbolized the coming of the Light into the World. I wish I had a blog to share the Advent Wreath at home… ☺ I’m so very glad that not only do you have a beautiful home, you do gorgeous decorating, but also keep at heart the true meaning of the season. Happy Holidays from Guatemala!
Thank you for your lovely and informative comment, Claudia!
I always look forward to your Sunday message. Our country certainly needs to hear the meaning of Advent and follow the four ideals- love, peace, hope, and joy. But to change a direction of a nation, it must begin with us. Thank you for nudging us.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will heal their land.” 2 Chron 7:14 Amen and amen!
Thank you dear Yvonne – I follow the Advent tradition of the first Sunday focuses on the mineral kingdom, the 2nd Sunday on the plant kingdom, the 3rd Sunday the animal kingdom and the 4th Sunday the human being. On each of these Sundays we bring something representing these elements to our Advent table (crystals, flowers, a birds feather etc), and of course on the last Sunday a picture card of Mary and Joseph. Blessings to all.
Oh, I’ve never heard of that kind of Advent.
Lovely, let us prepare indeed!! Thank you for your thoughts and Bible references.
You are welcome, Melanie. Have a blessed Christmas.
Thank you for your beautiful blog today about Advent. I so appreciate your encouragement to keep our focus on Jesus — both His first and second coming — during this season!
You are so welcome, Veronica! God bless you this Advent season.
Thank you for sharing this informative, beautifully written Blog. This is the first Sunday Blog I have read. I think it was meant to be. I shattered my right shoulder and had Revered Shoulder Replacement Surgery. I have to wear this big- cumbersome sling. I call it my “Side Pregnancy Appendage’’. Since I am right handed and move my right arm, my decorating is non-existing. I think I can do the Advent Wreath with the candles. I am so excited to start. This year we will celebrate the real reason for Christmas. We do every year but this will be different.
I am passing this Blog on to my grown daughters. Thank you again ❤️
God bless you and I pray for your speedy recovery! Yes, we can get so busy with decorating and all the other things that go along with Christmas we can easily forget the reason why we are celebrating! Thanks for passing my blog along to your daughters! Merry and blessed Christmas.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!! May it be filled with the joy of Christ’s birthday.
Had to put you on my greetings list as you bring so much to my world of living in Christ’s love, decorating, and cooking. Does it get any better than this??
Continued blessings!
Donna Marsh
Donna, thank you for your lovely Christmas message. God bless you! Merry Christmas.