The Meaning of Advent Before Christmas
(Baonghean.vn) - Advent is considered a season of preparing the soul fervently and filled with hope and joy.
Advent is the four-week period before Christmas. The main theme of Advent is preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, usually lasting from 22 to 28 days and having four Sundays starting before Christmas Day and ending on Christmas Eve (the night of December 24, Christmas Eve).
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The first Sunday of Advent (the fourth Sunday before Christmas) also marks the beginning of the regular Catholic liturgical calendar, which usually falls as early as November 27 and as late as December 3.
From a Christian perspective, Advent (Vietnamese meaning "expectation", "hope"; Latin: adventus meaning "coming") is the first season of the liturgical year encompassing the period covering four Sundays before Christmas (about a month) and ending on Christmas Eve.
Advent is closely linked to and leads to Christmas. Christians take on the spirit of the ancient people of God waiting for the Lord's coming. The Church invites believers to prepare to celebrate the first coming of the Son of God to humanity, and at the same time to look forward to Christ's second coming. Therefore, Advent must be considered a season of preparing the soul fervently and filled with hope and joy.
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Stages of Advent liturgical celebration
+ Phase I: From the first Sunday of Advent to December 16.
+ Phase II: From December 17 to 24.
