Today is the 2nd Sunday of Advent! Hard to believe, isn’t it? Just last week it was still Thanksgiving weekend. And the 1st Sunday of Advent.

What is Advent anyway? Advent is waiting for an event to occur. In this month, the birthday of Jesus. Christmas! Many Protestant communities do not celebrate Advent. I was fortunate to have two pastors who did in my Baptist church. It meant something special and made the yearning for the spiritual tangible. Not for just gifts and family, but the recognition of God’s gift to mankind.

According to Wikipedia, the celebration of the Advent wreath originated with German Lutherans in the 15th century. This custom apparently didn’t reach North America until the 1930s. Typically, the Advent wreath holds four candles, three purple and one pink, representing peace, hope, joy, and love, respectively, lit on successive Advent Sundays. In my experience, the candles were lit each Sunday and a scripture representing the meaning of the candle was read prior to the lighting of the appropriate candle. Each Sunday, all previously lit candles were lit before the new candle was illuminated. (The Wikipedia page also gives other colors and meanings of the candles in different parts of the world.)

In the center is a white candle, the Christ candle, lit on Christmas Eve, representing the birth of Christ. Light came into the world! (See John 1:1-5).

Before I knew anything about Advent, my family had a set of Swedish chimes. It held four candles. When the candles are lit, the angels fly around, dinging the two bells on the stand. I love this! Always have. My father hated it because it made too much noise. (Perhaps that made me love it all the more!)The angels are announcing the birth of Christ. I realize now that the four candles represent the Advent season.

Some may ask, “What does it matter? Everyone has their own customs.”

I’m reminded of Charlie Brown yelling, “Does anyone know what Christmas is all about?” Linus responds, “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” Linus proceeds to quote from Luke 2 in A Charlie Brown Christmas. Christmas is all about the birth of Christ!

So many things grab for our attentions in the buildup to Christmas day. Celebrating Advent is a tangible way to focus each Sunday on what Christmas is all about.