Christian Festivals: Advent (Cambridge International IGCSE Religious Studies)

What is Advent?

• The word “Advent”means “coming” or“drawing near”
• Advent is the period leading up to Christmas
• It starts on the Sunday nearest to 30th November and ends on the fourth Sunday before 25th December
• It is a time of preparation for the celebration of Jesus’s birth on Christmas
• Advent also looks forward to the Second Coming of Christ, when Christians believe he will return in glory
• It is a season of hope, expectation and waiting

Advent: Fasting, prayer and charity

• In early Christianity, Advent was a* penitential season like Lent, with fasting and reflection

• Today, some Christians still give something up or practise moderation *during Advent

• Advent is a time of:

  • Prayer for the coming of Jesus at Christmas and for peace in the world
  • Charity, as Christians focus on giving to those in need through food banks, collections or charity appeals
  • Spiritual preparation by attending services and Bible study

• Many Christians use Advent calendars to focus their thoughts each day on the coming of Christmas

How is Advent marked in church?

• Churches are decorated in purple during Advent

  • This is the colour of waiting and penitence and is also used during Lent

• An Advent wreath with four candles is used:

  • One candle is lit on each Sunday of Advent
  • The candles are purple, representing hope, peace, joy and love
  • On the third Sunday, the candle is pink to represent joy
  • The increasing number of lit candles shows that, with each passing Sunday, the coming of Christ at Christmas is getting closer
  • A fifth candle (usually red or white) is sometimes lit on Christmas Day to represent Christ’s birth
  • The wreath’s green colour and circular shape symbolise eternal life

• Churches often hold additional services and events during Advent. For example:

  • Advent services with hymns and readings
  • Christingle services (especially in Anglican churches), where children carry symbolic oranges with candles

IMAGE REQUIRED

Symbolism of the Christingle

• Carol services and nativity plays become more common as Christmas approaches

Religious reasons for observing Advent

• Christians observe Advent:

  • To prepare their hearts and minds to celebrate the birth of Jesus
  • To remember that Jesus is the Light of the World, bringing hope into the darkness
  • To reflect on the Second Coming of Christ and be spiritually ready
  • To practise hopeful waiting, patience and trust in God’s promises
  • To enter Christmas with a spirit of humility, not just celebration

Social significance of observing Advent

• Advent encourages people to slow down and reflect, even during a busy time of year
• The focus on charity and giving inspires acts of kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness towards others
• Charities run Advent campaigns and appeals to help the vulnerable
• Advent calendars, even if not religious, allow a moment of daily reflection or anticipation
• In schools and families, Advent can be a time of shared activities such as lighting candles or telling Bible stories
• Advent helps people find meaning beyond consumerism, focusing instead on values such as hope and peace

Different ways of observing Advent

• The season of Advent is marked in many similar ways across different Christian traditions, with calendars, carol services, nativity plays, wreaths and candles

• Some churches have a Jesse Tree, telling the story of Jesus’s family line through symbols

• Orthodox Christians call Advent the Nativity Fast. This begins in mid-November and lasts 40 days

  • Orthodox Christians undertake a fast during this time, but it is less strict than the fast for Great Lent

Worked Example Give two ways that Christians may observe Advent

[2 marks]

Final answer: Answer:

One way is by taking part in Advent prayer services [1 mark]

Another way is by having an Advent calendar to mark the passing of each day of the season [1 mark]

Exam Hint There are detailed notes about Christmas and Epiphany earlier in this section. Make sure you revise these two sections, together with this page on Advent, to gain a full picture of how Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.