Is There Advent Or Advance Christmas ?

Rev. Fr. Paul Lelen Haokip *

A Christmas shopping in Imphal city in December 2010

Introduction:

The small offset printers, press, and designers are busy at the onset of Christmas season. Even before the 25th December, many Christians busy themselves with Advent Christmas or Advance Christmas (AC). To celebrate an event there need to be a soul-search for the meaning and implication of the celebration.

Today, it looks – meating, meeting, singing, little scattered preaching without proper base and non-revelation of the actual truth fill the atmosphere of Advent or Advance Christmas. Interestingly, there is no advent or advance Diwali, Ningol Chakkouba, Durga pooja etc. How come some Christians solemnly celebrate AC? Perhaps we will have a better knowhow as you read on.

Origin of Advent:

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Advent began sometime after the 4th century as a time of preparation for Epiphany, and not in anticipation of Christmas. Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ by remembering the visit of the wise men and in some traditions, the Baptism of Jesus. At this time, new Christians were baptized and received into the faith, and so the early church instituted a 40-day period of fasting and repentance.

Later, in the 6th century, St. Gregory the Great was the first to associate this season of Advent with the coming of Christ. Originally, it was not the coming of the Christ-child that was anticipated, but rather, the Second Coming of Christ.

By the Middle Ages, the church had extended the celebration of Advent to include the coming of Christ through his birth in Bethlehem, his future coming at the end of time, and his presence among us through the promised Holy Spirit. Modern-day Advent services include symbolic customs related to all three of these "advents" of Christ.

What is ADVENT?

Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used to refer to the Second Coming of Christ. For Christians, the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from two different perspectives. The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second Coming. At least in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Moravian, Presbyterian and Methodist calendars, Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before December 25, which is the Sunday between November 27 and December 3 inclusive.

Colours during Advent:

The usual liturgical color in Western Christianity for Advent is either purple or blue. The purple color is often used for hangings around the church, the vestments of the clergy, and often also the tabernacle. In some Christian denominations, blue, a color representing hope, is an alternative liturgical color for Advent, a custom traced to the usage of the Church of Sweden (Lutheran) and the medieval Sarum Rite in England. In addition, the color blue is also used in the Mozarabic Rite (Catholic and Anglican), which dates from the 8th century. This color is often referred to as "Sarum blue".

The Lutheran Book of Worship lists blue as the preferred color for Advent while the Methodist Book of Worship identifies purple or blue as appropriate for Advent. There has been an increasing trend to supplant purple with blue during Advent as it is a hopeful season of preparation that anticipates both Bethlehem and the consummation of history in the second coming of Jesus Christ.[5]

Feasting or Fasting during Advent:

From the 4th century the season was kept as a period of fasting as strict as in Lent (commencing in some localities on 11 November; this being the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, the fast became known as "St. Martin's Lent", "St. Martin's Fast" or the "forty days of St. Martin"). The feast day was in many countries a time of frolic and heavy eating, since the 40-day fast began the next day.

In the Anglican and Lutheran churches this fasting rule was later relaxed. The Roman Catholic Church did so later, but kept Advent as a season of penitence. In addition to fasting, dancing and similar festivities were forbidden in these traditions. On Rose Sunday, relaxation of the fast was permitted. Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches still hold the tradition of fasting for 40 days before Christmas. The Good Book says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14;17).

Who observe Advent?

Advent is primarily observed in Christian churches that follow an ecclesiastical calendar of liturgical seasons to determine feasts, memorials, fasts and holy days. The Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican/Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian.

Today, however, more and more Protestant and Evangelical Christians are recognizing the spiritual significance of Advent, and have begun to revive the spirit of the season through serious reflection, joyful expectation, and even through the observance of some of the traditional Advent customs.

Harm done during Advent:

Wastage of paper in printing programmes, economic depletion, shortage of animals, waste of fuel, increase CO2 though multiple cooking, deforestation by way of firewood. The fact of celebrating AC without knowing the implication.

Conclusion:

I am sure, after reading some of the many practices of Advent, it has enlighten you and made you to decide either or Fasting or Feasting, Mere Imitation or More Meditation. Probably, violence to animal (slaughter for AC) can be minimized and safety to income can be the best options minus AC.

Mere purchase of clothes or booking an animal or two do not sufficiently prepare a true Christian for Christmas. In the real sense of the spirit of the season, Advent is a phase of spiritual preparation in which many Christians make themselves ready for the coming or birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ through fast, alms giving, charity, care for orphans, widows, poor, forgiveness and openness to truth. Let us celebrate the TRUTH of Advent and not deceive ourselves.

Wishing you all a meaningful ADVENT SEASON.