A Glimpse of Me

Advent Series: 1 – Advent Season

December 4, 2008

Before coming to Malaysia, I didn’t know anything about advent. I only celebrate and observe Christmas… but not advent. But 3 years ago, a friend from Finland gave me an Advent calendar. I didn’t know how to use it so I just kept it… until I saw my friend’s blog and she was having fun with the advent calendar she made for her children. Then I started searching for Advent and any thing advent. So last year, I put up my advent calendar for my son.

What is an advent by the way? According to wikipedia, Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming”) is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus; in other words, the period immediately before Christmas.

Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used in reference to the Second Coming. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure as they await the second coming of Christ.

The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as Saviour, and to his second coming as Judge, special lessons are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent.

So there goes… It’s nice to be able to do this tradition. I haven’t really done  a lot of things for  the advent though. I am still learning. But I definitely want to do more than just using the calendar.

Continue on: Advent Series: 2 – Advent Candles and its Colors

Filed under: Christmas, celebration, holidays