Before I became Catholic I am uncertain if I had even heard of Advent. Yes, I knew of the other winter celebrations such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Ramadan and of course, I celebrated Christmas. I was even aware that some pagans consider the Winter Solstice a holiday. But Advent? I suppose that I could blame my ignorance on being brought up in North Carolina which is predominately Protestant, mainly Baptist. What ever my reason, I had no idea when I became Catholic what Advent was.
I am going to guess that I wasn't the only Non-Catholic who had never heard of Advent.
So, what is Advent?Advent is the beginning of the Church year. It is a period of four weeks in which Catholics contemplate the coming of our Saviour's birth. Our secular society has turned Christmas into a gross commercialized spectacle. But Advent helps focus us back onto the true meaning of December 25th, the coming of the light into the world.
For me, this period of reflection is helpful and comforting.
I try to put off Christmas decorations and baking until the first week of Advent. This helps me to tie the religious meaning into the holiday.
Advent starts this Sunday and I will try and post something each week about how my family ties this into our everyday life. Remember though, I am a convert, so some of this is still new to me. LOL
