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Advent
Advent (from the Latin adventus, meaning "coming") is the liturgical season that precedes and anticipates Christmas. It is a season of hope and of longing, of joyful expectation and of peaceful preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves as a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians today for the second coming of Christ. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as Savior, and to his second coming as Judge, special lessons are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent.
Advent is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and begins on Advent Sunday, which in most traditions is the fourth Sunday before December 25; in other words, the Sunday between November 27 and December 3 inclusive. The Fourth Sunday of Advent could be as early as December 18, a full week before Christmas (as in 2005), or as late as December 24, making it the same day as Christmas Eve (as it was in 2006). Most Eastern Orthodox and other Eastern Christian Churches have a "Nativity Fast" (now often called "Advent Fast"), which usually lasts forty days before Christmas; it may begin on November 15 (for those Churches that celebrate Christmas on December 25), or in late November (for those Churches that celebrate Christmas on January 7 or 8).
Many symbols and traditions are associated with Advent, especially the Advent Wreath with its four colored candles (three purple and one pink), but also Advent calendars, special Advent music, food, processions, and other traditions that may vary from one culture or region to another. In the Roman Catholic Church, the official liturgical color for most of the Season of Advent is violet. Only on the Third Sunday of Advent (traditionally called Gaudete Sunday from Latin, meaning "Rejoice!") is a rose (pink) colored candle lit, as a symbol of joy; the priest may also wear rose vestments on this Sunday. Many Anglicans and some Protestant Churches use blue instead of violet throughout Advent, although they may also use rose/pink on the Third Sunday. Other church decorations (altar cloths, banners, etc.) will often have combinations of violet, pink, and blue throughout the season.
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