What is Advent?

At the writing of this post, we are in December 2019 and therefore in the Advent season – according to the Christian calendar. So, what does this word or the season itself mean?

The word – Advent– has its roots in Latin, meaning “coming.” Christians often speak of the “the advent of our Lord” and this expression refers to God’s becoming incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth. When Christians speak of the season of Advent, they are referring to that period of December before Christmas when they prepare for the commemoration of the birth of Jesus. It is believed that this practice may have started as a time of fasting in some churches as early as the late fourth century. Church leaders would preach about the wonder of the Incarnation. Later, the four Sundays in December became the orthodox length of the Advent season. From then, Advent has been deemed the beginning of the church year.