Advent is a season of anticipation, but its origins remain a historical mystery.
In short: Advent marks the start of the liturgical year for many Christians, serving as a period of waiting for the birth of Jesus and his eventual return. While modern traditions like wreaths and calendars are popular, the exact beginnings of this preparatory season are surprisingly difficult for scholars to pinpoint.
The term Advent derives from the Latin adventus, meaning arrival, which translates the Greek parousia from the New Testament. While the season is now a fixture of the Western Christian calendar, its historical development is opaque. J. Neil Alexander notes that it is impossible to state with certainty how the season truly began. Evidence suggests it existed by about 480, but early practices were far more rigorous than today. In 567, the Council of Tours mandated that monks fast daily throughout December, a practice that eventually spread across France.
Early observances were often linked to the Nativity Fast, sometimes called St. Martin's Lent, which began on 11 November. Bishop Perpetuus of Tours, who died in 490, directed that fasting occur three times weekly during this period. By the 6th century, some local councils extended this to nearly every day until Epiphany, totaling 56 days. Over time, these strict requirements were relaxed. By the 13th century, fasting was no longer a universal practice, and by 1917, the Roman Catholic Church had abolished the mandatory fast, though the season remained a time of penitence.
Modern Advent is defined by its liturgical symbolism. Since the 13th century, violet has been the traditional color, representing solemnity, though some traditions now use blue to emphasize hope. The Advent wreath, a staple of modern homes, emerged from 19th-century German Protestantism. In 1839, pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern created a wooden ring with 19 small red candles and four large white ones to help children track the days until Christmas. Today, the four candles typically represent the Sundays of Advent, symbolizing themes like the stages of salvation or the history of humanity, while the wreath itself serves as a sign of life and victory.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Advent
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