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Advent Calendar

What Is Advent?
The journey from Advent 1 to Epiphany unfolds as all good stories should, step by step, perhaps so we don't get too stunned by the awesome truth it bears. There's enough direct truth there to keep us on track and focused on it, and enough mystery and open room to fire the imagination -- from ordinary imaginations like mine, to great imaginations like T.S. Eliot and Dr. Seuss, to transcendent imaginations like your average 6-year old. The word 'advent' is Latin for 'a coming or arrival'. The idea behind it is that God came to earthly life and lived among us, which is news to stop the presses for. It's something to celebrate, rejoice, because just by being in it, God was giving the supreme blessing to the created world. But this birth led to an execution of this same God on behalf of us, and then the greatest news that death will not end it all. So it's not something you just go rushing into. We need to take stock of what that baby Jesus was here for. When we see the baby and the birth, the adult Jesus and His execution are also in sight. Advent is a season of preparation. So's Lent, but it is a different kind of preparation. In Lent, each of us prepares for what happened on Good Friday (execution) and Easter (resurrection). Lent is very adult and serious, because it leads to a death; originally, Lent readied new Christian adults for baptism. In Advent, we thank God for Christ's first coming, prepare for his final coming at the end of time, and celebrate Christ's presence among us today through the Spirit. God loved and wanted to share that love. But this existence isn't fit for a god; it's too broken, evil, painful, unjust. So, to rescue the created world from this evil, God chose to come here and walk the earth, to grow up, to live the truth, and to die. The only way to start such a thing is as a baby, and the only way to be a baby is to be born. Hence Christmas. Because Christmas is centered in the new hope brought by a baby, it's a very child-oriented holiday. Because Advent leads us up to that baby, so is Advent. There's a time to get ready by focusing on your own sinfulness and evil, a time for personal transformation and following Christ to the cross; that's Lent. There's a time to get ready by rejoicing that our God is not far away and unfamiliar with the struggles of human life, that Christ is here right now among His followers, that God has already begun to bring in the Kingdom, and that Christ will come again to make it clear who really runs the place. That's Advent. "Lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the age", says Jesus.
History
Advent is a creation of the Western churches that looked to Rome as their leader. There were two main streams flowing into it. The first came out of France, during the fourth century AD, probably from Celtic monks. A period of about six weeks before Christ's Mass was used as a penitential and devotional period, a lesser Lent. The second stream came from Rome, where there was a practice of having a three-to-six week fast during which you had to come to church regularly. This was a fast before the feast of Christmas time. The current form of Advent crystallized under Pope Gregory I, who set the current four-week length, and wrote liturgical materials for use in Advent. By the 10th century, the Celtic 'get ready' prayers and practices had been fully brought into the Roman form. Later on, the church adopted a system of liturgical colors, and Advent received a purple color not unlike Lent's. The 20th century brought a rediscovery of joy in Advent preparations; this was signaled among Protestants by using the color blue (with or without a touch of red in it). But Advent has fallen on hard times. For most people, it's become a time to get ready for whatever you're doing with family and friends on Christmas, and not a time to get ready for the Christ child. The bigger Christmas became, the more it swallowed up Advent. In fact, whatever Christmas-y thing we think of as being done before Christmas Day is actually done in Advent. In the US, everything after Thanksgiving is now seen as a part of Christmas. The main problem is not that Christmas intrudes on Advent. The real problem is that people no longer keep their Christmas focus on Christ, and then that Christless Christmas saps Christ from Advent. Practicing Advent as a religious season may help us recover Christmas, but it can't do it by itself. If you don't look to Jesus every day in every season, you'll lose Advent, Christmas, Lent, and even Easter. It'll be a tiring rush, not a loving celebration, and it'll be about family or money or image and not our loving Maker.
Commemorative Days in Advent
Active Christians do special things to mark the holy purposes of the Advent season. Many churches have Wednesday night services as during Lent, only with a lot more praise, joy, and song. Those who come are often invited to confess their sins before a priest or minister, or to join in group prayers afterward. Choirs practice music in a more-classical vein, especially Handel's Messiah. Chapels and prayer rooms open longer. In 'liturgical' churches, there's always some arguing between worship leaders and laity about whether Christmas hymns can be sung during Advent. The usual compromise is that the Christmas songs start coming in one or two Sundays before Christmas. The primary saint of the season is Nicholas of Myra (modern Demre, Turkey), on 12/6; it was celebration of his day and his reputation for giving gifts to children which bred the name and task of Santa Claus. He apparently had very wealthy parents who died in one of the epidemics that were common back then. He got the inheritance, but started giving it away to the poor, the sick, children, and sailors. He was jailed for several years under the Emperor Diocletian (as were most Christian leaders - if they weren't killed). When he was released, he was quite thin, but went right back to his giving ways. He was one of the bishops at the Council of Nicaea in 325. He died in 343 AD. Lucia (12/13) is is marked by the baking and eating of special cakes, and a celebration of all sorts of lights (partly pagan in origin). Ambrose of Milan (12/7) was a key figure in shaping beliefs about Christ. The disciple Thomas has his day on 12/21; it's a good day to think and pray about discerning, testing, and asking questions about what is happening around us, especially what's being taught about God. The day after Christmas (12/26) is the day of the first Christian martyr, Stephen; it was placed right after Christmas to remind us amidst our joy of those who died to bring it to us. In many traditions, Stephen's feast day is when they visit extended family and friends. In the U.S., most people start their Christmas after Thanksgiving day (the fourth Thursday of November), though catalog firms and retailers try to move it up to the start of November for profit's sake. Thanksgiving day is actually quite appropriate for Advent, even if it is a few days before the season starts. Advent is a preparation, and the best way to start preparing is with a thankful heart.
Celebrating Advent
Because Christmas has become the most important holiday of all in the traditionally-Christian countries, Advent has become a preparation not just for the Christ child but also for everything else that happens Christmas day. Most people spend all four weeks of Advent (and then some!) buying or making gifts to give out for Christmas, scheduling Christmas travel, and setting up the bounties of the big Christmas meal. By the time it's over, we need a vacation from the holiday! In colder countries, Christmastime is when we celebrate what winter holds in store -- snow, skis, sleds, warm drink, fires, snowmen, snowball fights, skating, and a refreshing nip in the air. Cold days can bring warm feelings. Everyone has their favorite holiday foods. Good bread puddings are made in advance and left chilled to age so that the figs, raisins, and brandy flavors meld. A Gaelic custom is to bake cakes during the last week of Advent, store them, then take them out just before Christmas to spread on almond paste and/or a sweet goo such as frosting or honey. On the days before Christmas, Europeans bake plaited breads in a long oval shape, to look like a well-wrapped Christ child. Quite possibly the most fun during Advent is found when caroling. Most caroling today is done between Advent 2 and Advent 4, far enough away from Christmas day so that people still have time for their Christmas preparations but not so far away as to miss the feel of the season. The songs are for Christmas more than Advent, and include well-known hymns and popular-style songs, many of which are not at all religious (caroling has always been that way). Caroling also involves cheery greetings, a lot of walking, meeting strangers, comraderie, and simple old-style dances. It's a great way to get to know each other, learn your neighborhood, and do a lot of blissful singing. Even bad singers can carol! Just remember it's a no-grump zone. Somewhere at (or near) the end, the carolers often receive a cup of cheer - hot liquid refreshment such as apple cider with cinnamon, or cocoa with whipped cream or marshmallows, warm egg nog (spiked with rum or whisky with vanilla, nutmeg, and/or ginger), glögg (a warm spiced wine drink from Scandinavia), or espresso cappucino coffee (perhaps with light spice). Usually there's finger-food and cake to go with it. That way, there are warmed bodies to go with the warm spirits and the cold weather. A common Advent tradition is that of the Advent wreath. The wreath is made of evergreen branches with four candleholders and candles, often hung from the ceiling. Since in Advent we're waiting for the Christ child, there needs to be a ceremonial way to mark the time and make us aware of the wait. Lighting a candle reminds us of Christ as light of the world. As the candle is lit, it's customary to sing two verses of "O Come O Come Emmanuel". One candle is lit for each Sunday in Advent : one on the first Sunday, two on the second, and so on. Some in high-church circles frown on Advent wreaths in the sanctuary and lighting ceremonies during worship. Where that happens, those ceremonies can still be a part of how your Advent worship at home. The kids can have lots of fun making the wreath. For fire safety, it's best to put the wreath in a secure place. In many Latino countries, the days before Christmas are marked with the posada, the journey of Mary and Joseph to find shelter in the days before Jesus' birth. The people playing the roles go from house to house, being turned away at each, until a house takes them in -- with a party ready to start upon their arrival. Another common tradition is that of decorating and blessing their Christmas tree. The Sundays before Christmas (Advent 3 or 4) are often set aside for this task. Decorations include coloured lights, balls (originally reflecting candlelight in a dazzling way), tinsel (resembling the glittering icicles found on fir trees in colder lands), chrismons (wooden or foam symbols and monograms for Christ), and on top, a star. The decorations stay up until Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas. The roots of the use of trees and decorations are definitely in Europe's pre-Christian religions. The pagan customs were transformed by the early missionaries so that they express some aspect of Christian belief. Sometimes, the meaning was much the same as the pagans treasured, but drawn through Christ. In other cases, the old meaning was deliberately turned inside-out to bring further honor to God and more cause for the people to celebrate. In any case, the tradition of trees and decorations has caught on everywhere, even among non-Christian Asians who found that they really enjoy decorating for the season. Korean Christians put light amounts of cotton 'snow' on their decorative trees. Advent is also when many families start making their own creche or manger scene. Francis of Assisi is said to have had a role in popularizing this custom. In Poland, there is a yearly competition on building the best one. In one modern turn on the old tradition, the scene is not made at once, but piece by piece, with each family member adding a piece, one a day in front of the family, telling the significance of each piece, until only the Christ Child and manger are missing. Then the manger is added -- but with no baby and no straw. The baby needs a bed of straw, so the children are asked to do good things for others. For each such deed, they would get a straw to add to the manger. Hopefully, by Christmas eve, there would be a bed of straw to lay the baby Jesus figurine into. The Moravians created the Advent star, which symbolizes the star that led the Wise Men to Jesus, who is "the bright and morning star" (Revelation 22:16). This star first started in the 1850s near the traditional Moravian home area of Herrnhut.

The History Of Christmas

The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years. Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born. The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the yule log, the giving of gifts, carnivals(parades) with floats, carolers who sing while going from house to house, the holiday feasts, and the church processions can all be traced back to the early Mesopotamians. Many of these traditions began with the Mesopotamian celebration of New Years. The Mesopotamians believed in many gods, and as their chief god - Marduk. Each year as winter arrived it was believed that Marduk would do battle with the monsters of chaos. To assist Marduk in his struggle the Mesopotamians held a festival for the New Year. This was Zagmuk, the New Year's festival that lasted for 12 days. The Mesopotamian king would return to the temple of Marduk and swear his faithfulness to the god. The traditions called for the king to die at the end of the year and to return with Marduk to battle at his side. To spare their king, the Mesopotamians used the idea of a "mock" king. A criminal was chosen and dressed in royal clothes. He was given all the respect and privileges of a real king. At the end of the celebration the "mock" king was stripped of the royal clothes and slain, sparing the life of the real king. The Persians and the Babylonians celebrated a similar festival called the Sacaea. Part of that celebration included the exchanging of places, the slaves would become the masters and the masters were to obey. Early Europeans believed in evil spirits, witches, ghosts and trolls. As the Winter Solstice approached, with its long cold nights and short days, many people feared the sun would not return. Special rituals and celebrations were held to welcome back the sun. In Scandinavia during the winter months the sun would disappear for many days. After thirty-five days scouts would be sent to the mountain tops to look for the return of the sun. When the first light was seen the scouts would return with the good news. A great festival would be held, called the Yuletide, and a special feast would be served around a fire burning with the Yule log. Great bonfires would also be lit to celebrate the return of the sun. In some areas people would tie apples to branches of trees to remind themselves that spring and summer would return. The ancient Greeks held a festival similar to that of the Zagmuk/Sacaea festivals to assist their god Kronos who would battle the god Zeus and his Titans. The Roman's celebrated their god Saturn. Their festival was called Saturnalia which began the middle of December and ended January 1st. With cries of "Jo Saturnalia!" the celebration would include masquerades in the streets, big festive meals, visiting friends, and the exchange of good-luck gifts called Strenae (lucky fruits). The Romans decked their halls with garlands of laurel and green trees lit with candles. Again the masters and slaves would exchange places. "Jo Saturnalia!" was a fun and festive time for the Romans, but the Christians though it an abomination to honor the pagan god. The early Christians wanted to keep the birthday of their Christ child a solemn and religious holiday, not one of cheer and merriment as was the pagan Saturnalia. But as Christianity spread they were alarmed by the continuing celebration of pagan customs and Saturnalia among their converts. At first the Church forbid this kind of celebration. But it was to no avail. Eventually it was decided that the celebration would be tamed and made into a celebration fit for the Christian Son of God. Some legends claim that the Christian "Christmas" celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of December. The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also the Persians whose religion Mithraism was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. The Church eventually was successful in taking the merriment, lights, and gifts from the Saturanilia festival and bringing them to the celebration of Christmas. The exact day of the Christ child's birth has never been pinpointed. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of the Christ Child celebrated as a solemn feast. In 350 AD another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, choose December 25th as the observance of Christmas.

The Nativity Story of Jesus

Story of the Nativity

Many years ago in the town of Nazareth lived a young woman called Mary. She was a simple good-hearted lady. One day while she was praying an angel named Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that God has been kind to her and favored her with a son named Jesus who will be a great ruler and whose kingdom will never end. An angel also visited Mary's fiancé, Joseph, in his dream. The angel told Joseph the news and asked him to look after Mary and the special baby. Mary and Joseph were soon married and they shared a great feast with their family and friends. Joseph was a carpenter and he made lots of wooden toys for the baby. Mary sewed swaddling clothes and blankets for the baby. Soon it was time for the baby to be born, but Jesus was not going to be born at home. A Roman emperor ordered that people must return to their hometown in order to pay their taxes. Joseph came from Bethlehem, which was around seventy miles from Nazareth. Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem even though the baby was nearly due. Mary packed the things for their journey. They set off for Bethlehem. Mary was able to ride on a donkey. After several days Mary and Joseph reached Bethlehem. The streets were crowded, as many people had come to pay their taxes. There was no place at the inns. Mary was very tired with the journey. A kind innkeeper took pity on Mary and Joseph and showed them his stable and told he can only give them this stable to stay as there was no place in the inn. During the night the baby was born. At this time there were some shepherds who were sitting on the hill top guarding their sheep were informed by angle Gabriel that Jesus was born the Savior of mankind was born this very night in Bethlehem. The shepherds were thrilled by the good news. They left their sheep and went into Bethlehem look for the baby. They were guided to the stable by a bright light in the sky. When the shepherds found baby Jesus they knelt down before him in wonder. Many miles away in the East, three wise men saw a shining star. They knew the star was a special sign and they set off to follow it. Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar followed the star for many days. The star led them to Bethlehem. The wise men found Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. They knelt in worship and brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. When the people of Bethlehem saw this they also knelt in worship. The people were filled with joy now that Jesus their Savior was born.

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