ASSEMBLY THEME

Monday 30th November

ADVENT

Did you know that .........

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival."

The focus of the entire season is the celebration

of the birth of Jesus the Christ. Advent is the

beginning of the Church Year for most churches

in theWestern tradition. It begins on the fourth

Sunday before Christmas day,which is the Sunday

nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve

(Dec24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted

as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve

proper beginning at sundown.

There are a wide variety of Advent calendars, but usually they are simply a card or poster with windows that can be opened, one each day of Advent, to reveal some symbol or picture associated with the Old Testament storyleading up to the birth of Jesus.

An Advent wreath is a circular evergreen wreath (real or artificial)

with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the centre.

The circle of the wreath reminds us of God, The green of the wreath

speaks of the hope that we have in God. Candles symbolize the light

of God coming into the world.The four outer candles represent the

period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent. There are usually

three purple candles, colours of Advent, and one pink candle. One of

the purple candles is lit on the first Sunday of Advent. On subsequent

Sundays, previous candles are lit with an additional one. The pink candle

is lit on the third Sunday of Advent. The centre Christ candle is white

and is traditionally lit on Christmas Eve or Day.

What does Advent

mean to you?