What is Advent?

Understanding Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:23

Advent is the season of the Christian liturgical year devoted to anticipation, preparation, and hope as believers await the celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas and look forward to His promised return. The word 'Advent' comes from the Latin 'adventus,' meaning 'coming' or 'arrival.' It carries a double meaning: Christians remember the historical arrival of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem, and they anticipate His future arrival in glory.

When is Advent?

Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas Day and ends on Christmas Eve. The start date varies each year — it can fall between November 27 and December 3. In Western Christianity (Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, and most Protestant churches that observe it), Advent marks the beginning of the church year. The season lasts approximately four weeks, though the exact number of days varies from 22 to 28.

Historical origins

The earliest evidence of an Advent-like season comes from the 4th and 5th centuries. In Gaul (modern France) and Spain, a period of fasting and preparation before Christmas was observed — sometimes lasting as long as six weeks, beginning after the Feast of St. Martin (November 11), earning it the nickname 'St. Martin's Lent.' By the 6th century, Rome had established a four-Sunday Advent season. Pope Gregory I (590-604) composed prayers for the Advent season that shaped its theology for centuries.

The Advent wreath

The most recognizable Advent symbol is the Advent wreath — a circle of evergreen branches holding four candles (traditionally three purple and one pink, though blue is also used). One candle is lit each Sunday of Advent:

• First Sunday — Hope (or Prophecy): The candle of hope, recalling the Old Testament prophets who foretold the Messiah's coming, especially Isaiah: 'The people walking in darkness have seen a great light' (Isaiah 9:2).
• Second Sunday — Peace (or Bethlehem): The candle of peace, reflecting the angels' announcement: 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests' (Luke 2:14).
• Third Sunday — Joy (Gaudete Sunday): The pink candle, marking a shift from penitential waiting to joyful anticipation. 'Gaudete' means 'Rejoice' — from Philippians 4:4: 'Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!'
• Fourth Sunday — Love (or Angels): The candle of love, reflecting God's supreme act of love in sending His Son: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son' (John 3:16).

Some traditions add a fifth candle — the white 'Christ candle' — in the center, lit on Christmas Day itself.

The circular wreath symbolizes God's eternity (no beginning or end). The evergreen branches represent eternal life. The growing light as more candles are lit each week symbolizes the approaching Light of the World.

The theology of Advent

Advent is structured around a profound theological tension: already and not yet.

Christ HAS come — born in Bethlehem, lived among us, died for our sins, rose from the dead. That is the 'already.' But Christ will COME AGAIN — in glory, to judge the living and the dead, to make all things new. That is the 'not yet.' Advent holds both truths simultaneously.

The Scripture readings assigned to Advent in lectionary-following churches reflect this dual focus:

• Early Advent emphasizes the Second Coming, end times, and the call to watchfulness: 'Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come' (Matthew 24:42)
• Late Advent shifts to the Nativity story — Mary and Joseph, the annunciation, Elizabeth and Zechariah, the journey to Bethlehem

This is why Advent is not simply 'pre-Christmas excitement.' It is a season of honest reckoning: the world is not yet fully redeemed, suffering continues, injustice persists — and into that darkness, we wait for the Light. The waiting itself is spiritually formative.

Key biblical figures of Advent

• Isaiah — The prophet of Advent par excellence. His prophecies of the coming Messiah are read throughout the season: the virgin birth (7:14), the child called 'Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God' (9:6), the shoot from Jesse's stump (11:1), the suffering servant (52-53).
• John the Baptist — The forerunner who prepared the way: 'A voice of one calling in the wilderness, "Prepare the way for the Lord"' (Mark 1:3). His message of repentance is central to Advent's call to self-examination.
• Mary — Her 'yes' to the angel Gabriel ('I am the Lord's servant... May your word to me be fulfilled,' Luke 1:38) is the supreme model of faithful waiting and trust.
• Joseph — His quiet obedience in the face of confusion and social stigma models the Advent virtue of trusting God when circumstances make no sense.

Advent practices

Different traditions observe Advent in various ways:

• Advent calendars — A daily countdown to Christmas, opening a door or window each day from December 1 to 24
• Advent devotionals — Daily Scripture readings, prayers, and reflections
• Jesse Tree — An ornament-based devotion tracing the genealogy of Jesus through Old Testament stories, based on Isaiah 11:1: 'A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse'
• O Antiphons — Seven ancient prayers sung on the seven days leading to Christmas (December 17-23), each beginning with 'O' and a title of Christ: O Wisdom, O Lord, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Dayspring, O King of Nations, O Emmanuel. The hymn 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel' is based on these antiphons.
• Fasting and simplicity — Some traditions (especially Orthodox, which observe a 40-day Nativity Fast) practice dietary fasting. Western traditions may emphasize simplicity, reduced consumption, and charity.

Advent vs. the cultural 'holiday season'

Advent exists in deliberate tension with consumer culture's version of Christmas. While the culture says 'celebrate now — buy, party, indulge,' Advent says 'wait — reflect, repent, prepare.' The cultural Christmas season begins in November and ends December 25. The church's Christmas season begins December 25 and lasts twelve days (through Epiphany on January 6). Advent is the preparation; Christmas is the celebration. Rushing past Advent to Christmas is like opening presents before they are given.

Why Advent matters

In a culture of instant gratification, Advent teaches the discipline of waiting. In a world of noise, it creates space for silence and reflection. In a season dominated by materialism, it redirects attention to the one gift that matters: 'For to us a child is born, to us a son is given' (Isaiah 9:6).

Advent reminds Christians that the story is not over. Christ came once in humility. He will come again in glory. And in the space between those two advents — in the already and the not yet — we wait with hope, prepare with repentance, and watch with expectation. 'Come, Lord Jesus' (Revelation 22:20).