Liturgy:Advent
Religion-wiki — for all religions and none
| Liturgical year |
|---|
| Advent |
| — Advent 1 |
| — Advent 2 |
| — Advent 3 |
| — Advent 4 |
| Christmastide |
| Epiphanytide |
| Pre-Lent |
| Lent |
| Holy Week |
| Eastertide |
| Around Pentecost |
| Ordinary Time |
| Pre-Advent |
Advent is the season of preparation for Christmas. It is a fasting season, but not to the extent that Lent is. This is shown by the liturgical colour purple and the focus of some readings on the four last things: heaven, hell, death and judgement. However, much of this sense of the season has been moved into an earlier Pre-Advent season. This has partly been due to the need to meet society's need to get into Christmas spirit early. However, within this tension, Advent is the time of preparation for both Jesus' first coming and his second coming.
The season consists of four Sundays: beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, or the Sunday nearest to St Andrew's Day (both methods give the same date). The first Sunday of Advent is often simply called Advent Sunday.
