Advent

Advent (from the Latin adventus, arrival '), actually Adventus Domini (Latin for coming of the Lord ), refers to the season in which Christianity itself, prepared for the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, Christmas. The Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus and celebrate them as the incarnation of God. At the same time the Advent reminded that Christians should expect the second coming of Jesus Christ. With the first Sunday of Advent and the new liturgical year begins.

Between the denomination of the Adventists and the Church's season " Advent" no direct link, but an indirect connection, since both terms refer to the coming of Christ.

• 3.1 Advent Calendar
• 3.2 Advent
• 3.3 Light Arches
• 3.4 Newer light symbolism
• 3.5 Advent Songs ( selection)

History

Originally the term Advent corresponded to the Greek term ἐπιφάνεια Epiphaneia ( "appearance", see Epiphany ) and meant the Roman Empire arrival, attendance, attending a public official, especially the arrival of kings or emperors ( adventus Divi " arrival of the divine ( ruler ) " ). But it could also be expressed by the arrival of the deity in the temple. This word took the Christians to bring their relationship to Jesus Christ expressed.

Advent was originally a Lent, which laid down the old church on the days between the 11th November and the original Christmas deadline, the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6. In addition, the Lent and Advent were considered "closed periods ", in these closed times were not allowed to dance and celebrate consuming. Even solemn ceremonies were closed in times not take place, quiet ceremonies does. Since 1917, the Advent fasting by the Catholic Church law is no longer required.

The Advent season in its current form dates back to the 7th century. It was called tempus ante -natal Domini ( " time before the birth of the Lord" ) or tempus Adventus Domini ( " time of the coming of the Lord "). In the Roman Church of the West, there were initially between four and six Sundays in Advent, until Pope Gregory the Great, their number stipulated to four. The four Sundays were symbolic of the four thousand years which had to wait according to church history after the Fall in Paradise on the Saviour people. This scheme has been confirmed by the Council of Trent, after deviating regional traditions were established. The legally binding instrument was made in 1570 by Pope Pius V. In some dioceses that have remained in the Ambrosian rite, for example, in the archdiocese of Milan, the six-week season of Advent has kept to this day.

It was emphasized in the Gallic area the eschatological motif of the return of Christ, which led to the refinement of Advent as a time of serious repentance, whereas the Christmas motif Joyous Arrival of the Incarnation gained influence in the Roman sphere of influence. This ambivalence is supported on the different Sundays of Advent the liturgy account.

Advent in the liturgy

The Advent season begins with the first Vespers of the first Sunday of Advent and ends on Christmas Eve with the first Vespers of Christmas. The Western Christian Advent season lasts 22 to 28 days and has always four Sundays, with the exception of the dioceses, who adhere to the Ambrosian rite.

The reason for the different length of the Advent season (as opposed to Lent, which has a fixed length ) lies in the fact that the beginning is bound to a Sunday, and the end of month one, 24 or 25 December. The last Sunday of Advent is the Sunday before December 25, which is measured as the earliest possible date of the 18th and the Latest December 24. It follows that the season of Advent begins on Sunday between 27 November and 3 December.

During Advent, the Gloria is sung only at festivals in the liturgy. The liturgical color is purple.

The third Sunday of Advent, the Roman Catholic Old Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran church year Gaudete, takes its name from the Latin word beginning word of the Introit " Gaudete in Domino semper ", " Rejoice in the Lord always! " This anticipation is expressed in the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, Anglican and in the Liturgy of Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America by the possible use pink ( pink = lightened violet) vestments.

At the heart of biblical preaching in the liturgy of Advent each Sunday is - at the different denominations in different order - the hoped-for return of the Lord, the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, John the Baptist as a " forerunner of Jesus ", and Mary the mother of Jesus.

The Divine Office during Advent is characterized in that there is a separate text for short reading, the antiphons for the Benedictus and Magnificat and Schlussoration for every day. The responsory of Lauds and Vespers are the same on all days. In the last seven days before Christmas Eve, the seven O Antiphons, the Old Testament taken invocations of the Messiah, the antiphons for the Magnificat form in the evening vespers.

In the Catholic Church spread are called Roratemessen, ie Masses in the glow of candlelight.

The Orthodox Churches to celebrate Advent today sechswöchig as Lent, beginning November 15 ( the corresponding calendar) until Dec 24th. The term " Advent" is there not as common and is used only in recent times. We speak rather of Philip - fasting or fasting Christmas. The church year begins in the Orthodox Church is not on the first Advent, but on September 1.

In the Advent drop some festivals that are not from the hard thoughts with the Advent in relation, for example, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 December, the St. Barbara on December 4th and St. Nicholas Day on December 6. The Marian feast is closely related to the feast of Mary's birth on September 8, nine months later. In particular, the two above-mentioned saints' feasts are now connected with pre-Christmas Traditions: On the Feast of Saint Barbara Barbara branches are cut, which will then bloom for Christmas, and the gifts -making Bishop Nicholas of Myra is moved into proximity with Christ Child and Santa Claus since the Reformation.

Date of the first Sunday of Advent in the Latin Church

Advent traditions

Advent Calendar

Dating back to the 19th century, connected with several customs of counting out the days leading up to Christmas from the evangelical environment, originated first in Germany since the early 20th century, particularly for children, Advent their various forms, since 1920, with opening doors. Advent usually have 24 doors, of which from 1 to 24 December each one is opened ( "December Calendar " ) in contrast to liturgical advent calendars that start on the first Advent and doors until January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord have. They also have four additional door for the Sundays of Advent.

Advent

The Advent wreath has four candles with his back to the light that has come with Christ into the world (John 1:1-14 EU, EU Jn 8:12 ). 1839 was the Protestant theologian Johann Hinrich Wichern ( 1808-1881 ) in the prayer hall of the 'Rough House "in Hamburg for the first time a wooden candlestick with 23 candles hang - 19 small red for the days up to Christmas, four thick white for Sundays. In the Eastern Churches of the Christmas wreath has been partially taken over today and extended to six candles.

The original Protestant custom of the Advent wreath is also found in the Catholic church entrance. In some places the candles have traditionally been the liturgical colors of the Sundays of Advent: three purple candles for the first, second and fourth Sunday of Advent and a pink candle for the third Sunday of Advent ( Gaudete ). The Benediktionale includes a rite for the blessing of the Advent wreath.

Light Arches

As a relic of Erzgebirge miners tradition is found during the Advent and Christmas period from nightfall in many windows features a candlelit flying buttress. In the dark winter months he brought the desire of the miners after the sunlight reflected that marched during the winter months it was still dark in the tunnels and were only at night on their way home. Each light originally represented one returned from the mountain pit lantern represents a " complete " arc at the house means that all the workers at this establishment have safely returned from the pit.

In addition to traditional motifs from the work and daily life of miners found in the design of modern arches also nature, winter and landscape themes and the presentation of local attractions (eg Dresdner Frauenkirche) input.

Special distribution of this custom of Advent has found the flying buttress in Saxony, Thuringia and Bavaria. It is increasingly found in other parts of Europe.

Newer light symbolism

The symbolism of light is dealt with in current meditative design elements such as the Advent Labyrinth. The path through the labyrinth is a symbol of the way through life. In the center about the light in the form of a candle or symbolized by a Gospel Book as the Word of God can be as objective are.

In some churches burning in the Advent and Christmas season in a lantern, a candle with the Peace Light from Bethlehem, which is ignited in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and used in a light relay race in Europe. Worshippers can in this light ignite own candles and bring the light back home.

Advent Songs ( selection)

The most common Christmas songs and hymns in the Christian churches include:

• Power up the door, the door makes far by Georg Weissel (for Advent Psalm 24)
• Now come, der Heiden Heiland of Martin Luther after the Latin Veni redemptor gentium of Ambrose of Milan
• Daughter of Zion, rejoice by Friedrich Heinrich Ranke on a melody by Georg Friedrich Händel
• How should I receive you by Paul Gerhardt, melody Johann Crüger
• O Saviour, the heavens tear on a text by Friedrich Spee
• Maria went through a thorn forest
• Johannes Tauler OP There comes a ship, loaded attributed

• Softly Falls the Snow by Pastor Eduard Ebel
• Tauet, Sky, the righteous, Latin Rorate Coeli ( antiphon in the Roman Catholic liturgy, including the Introit from the 4th Advent Sunday)
• The O antiphons and the singing of the antiphon Rorate Coeli
• The night is penetrated by a poem by Jochen Klepper
• We tell you to love Advent of Mary Ferschl, Melody by Heinrich tube
• Advent, Advent, a candle burns, a common nursery rhyme that is sung to different tunes

Commercialization and early start

In recent times, there have been efforts of the churches in Germany, an extension of the Advent season through the retail and advertising industry over the Christ the King and the eternity Sunday, on which in the Protestant churches of the memorial of them that slept is committed addition or opening of retail stores on Sundays of Advent to command through campaigns and legal action stop. The churches hope for the realization of consumers. Thus, according to the principle that supply to demand follow, argues: " If the goods are not bought, they disappear sooner or later again at the wrong time from the shelves ".

From the Evangelical Church of Berlin- Brandenburg -Silesian Upper Lusatia and the Catholic Church, represented by the Archdiocese of Berlin, a constitutional complaint was relying on Article 140 of the Basic Law against the Berlin shop opening Act, which makes it possible to open on all four Sundays of Advent shops, submitted. On 1 December 2009, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the Berlin regulation was unconstitutional.