Advent is a season observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and

preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas and the return of Jesus
at the Second Coming. The term is a version of the Latin word meaning "coming". The term
"Advent" is also used in Eastern Orthodoxy for the 40-day Nativity Fast, which has practices
different from those in the West.[3]
The Latin word 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 three different perspectives. Philip H. Pfatteicher, formerly a professor at East
Stroudsberg University, notes that "since the time of Bernard of Clairvaux (d.1153), Christians
have spoken of the three comings of Christ: in the flesh in Bethlehem, in our hearts daily, and in
glory at the end of time".[4] 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.
Advent is the beginning of the Western liturgical year. In the Roman Rite of the Catholic
Church, the Western Rite of the Orthodox Church, and in
the Anglican, Lutheran, Moravian, Presbyterian, and Methodist calendars, Advent commences
on the fourth Sunday before Christmas—the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew's Day(30 November).
It can fall on any date between 27 November and 3 December. When Christmas Day is a
Monday, Advent Sunday will fall on its latest possible date. [5] In the Ambrosian Rite and
the Mozarabic Rite of the Catholic Church, Advent begins on the sixth Sunday before Christmas,
the Sunday after St. Martin's Day (11 November).[6]
Practices associated with Advent include keeping an Advent calendar, lighting an Advent
wreath, praying an Advent daily devotional,[1] erecting a Christmas tree or a Chrismon tree,
[1]
 lighting a Christingle,[2] as well as other ways of preparing for Christmas, such as setting
up Christmas decorations,[7][8][9] a custom that is sometimes done liturgically through a hanging of
the greens ceremony.[1][10] The equivalent of Advent in Eastern Christianity is called the Nativity
Fast, but it differs in length and observances, and does not begin the liturgical church year as it
does in the West. The Eastern Nativity Fast does not use the equivalent parousiain its
preparatory services.[11]

The Advent wreath, or Advent crown, is a Christian tradition that symbolizes the

passage of the four weeks of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western church. It
is traditionally a Lutheran practice, although it has spread to many other Christian
denominations.[1][2][3]
It is usually a horizontal evergreen wreath with four candles, sometimes with a fifth,
white candle in the center. Beginning with the First Sunday of Advent, the lighting of a
candle can be accompanied by a Bible reading, devotional time and prayers.[4][5] An
additional candle is lit during each subsequent week until, by the last Sunday
before Christmas, all four candles are lit. Many Advent wreaths include a fifth, Christ
candle which is lit at Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.[6] The custom is observed both in
family settings and at public church services.

Christmas is an annual festival, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ,[9][10] observed

primarily on December 25[4][11][12] as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of
people around the world.[2][13][14] A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is
preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season
of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates
on Twelfth Night;[15] in some traditions, Christmastide includes an octave.[16] Christmas
Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations,[17][18][19] is celebrated religiously by a
majority of Christians,[20] as well as culturally by many non-Christians,[1][21] and forms an
integral part of the holiday season centered around it.
The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New
Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic
prophecies.[22] When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so
they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born,
with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then further disseminated the
information.[23]
Ordinary Time comprises two periods of time in the Christian liturgical year that are found in
the calendar of the ordinary form of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, as well as some
other churches of Western Christianity, including those that use the Revised Common
Lectionary:[1] the Anglican Communion, Methodist churches, Lutheran churches, Old Catholic
churches and Reformed churches.[2] In Latin, the name of this time is tempus per
annum translated as time during the year.
Ordinary Time comprises two periods: the first period begins on Epiphany Day (in the Anglican
Communion and Methodist churches) or the day after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (in
the Catholic Church) and ends on the day before Ash Wednesday; the second period begins on
the Monday after Pentecost, the conclusion of the Easter season, and continues until the Saturday
before the First Sunday of Advent. In some traditions, the first period is celebrated
as Epiphanytide,[3] and the latter of these periods is observed as Trinitytide.[4] Both of these
periods of time, combined, are the longest time in the liturgical year.[5]
The weeks of Ordinary Time are numbered. Several Sundays bear the name of feasts or
solemnities celebrated on those days, including Trinity Sunday and the Feast of Christ the King.
The liturgical color normally assigned to Ordinary Time is green.

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and
ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring."
The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan
and preparing to begin his ministry.

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-
examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for
baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up
something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.

Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-
Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.
 Lent is the period of 40 days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar.
Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before
the celebrations of Easter. By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate
Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. Lent is marked
by fasting, both from food and festivities.

Whereas Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus after his death on the cross,
Lent recalls the events leading up to and including Jesus' crucifixion by Rome. This
is believed to have taken place in Roman occupied Jerusalem.

The Christian churches that observe Lent in the 21st century (and not all do
significantly) use it as a time for prayer and penance. Only a small number of
people today fast for the whole of Lent, although some maintain the practice on Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday. It is more common these days for believers to
surrender a particular vice such as favourite foods or smoking. Whatever the
sacrifice it is a reflection of Jesus' deprivation in the wilderness and a test of self-
discipline.

Why 40 days?

40 is a significant number in Jewish-Christian scripture:

 In Genesis, the flood which destroyed the earth was brought about by 40
days and nights of rain.
 The Hebrews spent 40 years in the wilderness before reaching the land
promised to them by God.
 Moses fasted for 40 days before receiving the ten commandments on Mount
Sinai.
 Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness in preparation for his ministry.
Most Christians regard Jesus' time in the wilderness as the key event for the
duration of Lent.

Why is it called Lent?

Lent is an old English word meaning 'lengthen'. Lent is observed in spring, when the
days begin to get longer.

The colour purple

Purple is the symbolic colour used in some churches throughout Lent, for drapes
and altar frontals.
Purple is used for two reasons: firstly because it is associated with mourning and so
anticipates the pain and suffering of the crucifixion, and secondly because purple is
the colour associated with royalty, and celebrates Christ's resurrection and
sovereignty.

East and West

Both the eastern and western churches observe Lent but they count the 40 days
differently.

The western church excludes Sundays (which is celebrated as the day of Christ's
resurrection) whereas the eastern church includes them.

The churches also start Lent on different days.

Western churches start Lent on the 7th Wednesday before Easter Day (called Ash
Wednesday).

Eastern churches start Lent on the Monday of the 7th week before Easter and end it
on the Friday 9 days before Easter. Eastern churches call this period the 'Great
Lent'.

The last week of Lent is called Holy Week.

Top

Easter,[nb 1] also called Pascha (Greek, Latin)[nb 2] or Resurrection Sunday,[4][5] is

a festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in
the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his
crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.[6][7] It is the culmination of the Passion of
Jesus, preceded by Lent (or Great Lent), a forty-day period of fasting, prayer,
and penance.
Most Christians refer to the week before Easter as "Holy Week"—it contains the days of
the Easter Triduum, including Maundy Thursday, commemorating the Maundy and Last
Supper,[8][9] as well as Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus.
[10]
 In Western Christianity, Eastertide, or the Easter Season, begins on Easter Sunday
and lasts seven weeks, ending with the coming of the fiftieth day, Pentecost Sunday.
In Eastern Christianity, the season of Pascha begins on Pascha and ends with the
coming of the fortieth day, the Feast of the Ascension.