Day 3 - Advent Tradition

I don't know how much you know about the season of Advent, whether you celebrate it as nothing more than the usual run-up to Christmas, or whether you hold it in any kind of deeper significance. As many of you know, I'm a Christian and Advent is a particularly special time of year for me, because it has long been tradition to spend advent watching and waiting for the coming of Christ, both in the sense of preparing for the celebration of the first coming of Christ - the incarnation at Christmas, but also in the expectant belief that he will come again someday.

An Advent wreath. Each of the four outside candles, representing Hope, Love, Joy and Peace, are lit over the four Sundays of Advent, whilst the central candle, representing Light and Purity, is lit on Christmas day.

As yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent, I wrote a reflection on Advent in the Church of the South Pacific thread, but I thought I'd share a little more about how the church I currently belong to, the Church of England, sees Advent and Christmas. You can read more about that here.

Of course, Christmas and Advent mean lots of things to lots of different people, so whether you celebrate it as a Christian, it coincides with a religious festival of your own or you have no faith at all, I really want to hear about what Advent means [i]for you.

Please reply with any thoughts or memories you have or any particular Advent traditions you or your family hold dear. Perhaps one of the features of the CofE Advent brought back memories of something similar, or very different. Tell us about it!

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And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond!

Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi.

Salma 145:8

translate

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
Psalm 145: 8

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My parents used to light the advent candles. Advent, advent, a candle burns, first one, then two, then three, then four. And when the fifth light burns, you have missed Christmas, as a German saying goes (and in German, that rhymes).
I always argued to not always burn the same candles, but alternate, so that they burn down equally. Apparently that was not how it was supposed to go. To me the advent didn't mean all that much other than a count down to Christmas(presents). But it did give the december month a special atmosphere.

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My parents used to light the advent candles. Advent, advent, a candle burns, first one, then two, then three, then four. And when the fifth light burns, you have missed Christmas, as a German saying goes (and in German, that rhymes).
I always argued to not always burn the same candles, but alternate, so that they burn down equally. Apparently that was not how it was supposed to go. To me the advent didn't mean all that much other than a count down to Christmas(presents). But it did give the december month a special atmosphere.

Yeah, the candles are supposed to burn down in order. I guess it's a kind of visual clock and, since each candle has a kind of reflection associated to it, you can keep them distinct throughout. Something like that.

I'm glad you enjoyed the tradition, even if it held no particular meaning for you.

Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond!

Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi.

Salma 145:8

translate

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
Psalm 145: 8

Reply

Only a few times did my family have the honor to light the advent candles.

Usually, December was filled with church choir practices and, on many occasions, most of the behind the scenes legwork for decorating the church and all the other stuff making sure the services and other activities actually work when and where they're supposed to. I was usually in charge (when I was a teen) of tidying and setting up the old parsonage for the between Christmas Eve services "gatherings". Coffee, hot chocolate, donuts, Christmas cookies, etc.

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Only a few times did my family have the honor to light the advent candles.

Usually, December was filled with church choir practices and, on many occasions, most of the behind the scenes legwork for decorating the church and all the other stuff making sure the services and other activities actually work when and where they're supposed to. I was usually in charge (when I was a teen) of tidying and setting up the old parsonage for the between Christmas Eve services "gatherings". Coffee, hot chocolate, donuts, Christmas cookies, etc.

My daughter got to light a few of the candles last year (with help) and is often the one who gets to blow them out again after the service (perk of being a church warden's daughter).

Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond!

Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi.

Salma 145:8

translate

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
Psalm 145: 8

Reply

We dont celebrate christmas.

Religious differences yknow, and the fact that its quite ultraconservative here. I'm muslim, and my family is muslim, so we don't really celebrate this.

So you find yourself sitting in some sermons by some Imams saying that you shouldn't say "Merry Christmas" because that means you acknowledge the celebrations as a muslim, which in their mind, as well as many others, shouldn't happen.

But I always have a certain tradition in which if my mates that have a different religion mention merry christmas and seasons greetings in the webchat, and the rest of my other non-catholic or non-protestant friends dont, I would try to piss them off by saying "Enjoy your day guys~"

In a way that I wish them all the best and that the others can't sue me for telling them to enjoy the day. Fullproof.

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I don’t observe Advent per se, since I’m not religious, but there are definitely some things that my family and I do as Christmas approaches.

I always make cookies this month (which should be interesting, since I’ve become more interested in baking lately). My dad also makes an amazing hot chocolate, so he always makes some for breakfast every Sunday during December.

I also make sure to watch Call Me Claus. It’s my favourite holiday movie, and I’ve been watching it every year for as long as I can remember.

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