What exactly is Advent? This post is here to answer that question! Find out what Advent means, how people observe it, and what your family can do. There are so many Advent related resources and activities here at Chasing Those Moments. You’ve come to the right place.
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What is Advent?
The word “advent” literally means “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.” I love that! This definition comes up in a quick Google search from Oxford Languages.
In Christianity, the word is used a couple of different ways. One way is in reference to the birth of Jesus: Jesus’ coming to the earth as a baby. The arrival of a notable person. Another usage of the word “advent” is as the name of the season of Advent, the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. Or the coming of Christmas, the arrival of a notable event.
Both usages refer to Christmas, the time of year Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth. The entire Christian faith revolves around the teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. So His birth is a pretty big deal! While not the actual calendar date of His birth, the season of Advent traditionally has been the time of observance and celebration of Jesus’ birth. So how do Christians observe Advent? Glad you asked!
How it is observed.
The Advent season begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This is often the last Sunday of November. Many churches of many different denominations and belief systems observe Advent. It is a great time to focus on the why’s of Christmas.
Churches will have a wreath with five candles, four making a circle and one in the middle: three purple, one pink, one white. Each candle represents a quality such as hope, peace, joy, and love. The lectionary (a year long calendar with suggested Bible verses to read that many churches follow) has a two-year rotation of verses to go along with the week and that week’s candle.
Each week, someone will read the Scripture passages and light that week’s candle. The next week, they will light the previous week’s candle then read the next Scripture passage before lighting that week’s candle. The white candle is in the center and represents Christ. Churches may light that one at their Christmas Eve service or on Christmas Day.
The Advent Wreath is a great visual for the coming of Christ. And the Scripture readings help prepare listeners’ hearts and minds for the coming holy day.
What your family can do.
Christmastime can be so busy. We rush from one event to the next. From one party to another. There are gifts to buy, plans to make, dishes to cook, traditions to observe. It is so easy to get bogged down in the busy that we forget to make time for what is important. We forget to remind our kids (and ourselves!) of the reason for the season.
Observing Advent as a family is a great way to put our minds back in the right place. We can take a few minutes at the start of each week to talk about our faith. To put our focus on hope, peace, joy, and love.
My family has an Advent Wreath of our own that we use each year. We read the Scripture passages and light the candles as a family even as we observe them at church too. The kids love to see the candles and beg for their turn to blow them out. But as they are enraptured with the light of the flame, they are hearing God’s Word and God’s truth. They are taking in the message of Jesus. It is a tradition that we all enjoy.
I actually took the two-year rotating Scripture passages and combined them into one and wrote the stories out in story form so that is easier for kids to understand. We read the stories and go through the discussion questions each year. We combine our Advent study with our Jesse Tree devotions each year.
You can purchase these Advent devotions right here in the Chasing Those Moments Shop! They are in my book Jesse Tree Moments. The book is available here on my website as well as on Amazon and Bookshop.org.
You said Jesse Tree? Yes, I did!
My family combines our Advent observance with a Jesse Tree. Don’t know what a Jesse Tree is? Read all about it here! Advent devotions take place once each week on Sundays. Jesse Tree devotions fill in the week with Scripture readings each day. We begin each December 1st with Genesis and go through the Old Testament Bible stories leading up to the birth of Jesus. They pair so perfectly with the Advent devotions that I put them all in the same book.
I love to call our Jesse Tree a reverse Advent calendar or a count-up to Christmas rather than a countdown. It is one of our family’s favorite Christmas traditions. You can get a full kit with a handcrafted Jesse Tree designed and made by yours truly here in the Shop as well.
Now that you have your Christmas all figured out, maybe you’re wondering what to do for Lent/Easter. I’d love to share what we do each year. Check that out over on the post Holy Week Activities for All Ages. And give a look at my devotional Resurrection Moments while you’re there!
Bonus!
I’m so excited to share some products that I’ve been working on. Not only can churches incorporate the Jesse Tree into their Advent celebrations, I also have two Christmas programs available in my shop now. Both are easy to do with small churches, groups, and families. I have a Readers’ Theater program and a Christmas play for kids and youth. Check those out!
Does your family have any special Advent traditions? I’d love to hear about them in the comments or through the link on the Contact Us page.
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