One common Christmas tradition in Christian churches is to celebrate the season of Advent in preparation for Christmas. Advent, which means “coming,” celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and takes place during the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas.

The season of advent is the beginning of the church year, because it corresponds to the beginning of Jesus’ life (even if the date is not the exact date of his birth). Advent focuses on Christ’s coming in the past, present, and future, and is traditionally celebrated with readings that reflect each time period.

A visual symbol of advent is the advent wreath, featuring four candles arranged on a circular wreath–three purple and one pink–with a white Christ candle in the middle. For the first two Sundays, purple candles are lit, followed by a pink one on the third week, and another purple one on the fourth week. The Christ candle should be lit during the 12 days of Christmas (Dec. 25 through Jan. 5). Each week’s celebration holds a different meaning for different churches, and the readings during the lighting of the Advent candles reflect those meanings.

In spite of differing church traditions, the spirit of advent remains the same–celebrating the prophecy of Christ’s birth as well as his actual birth. Advent is usually celebrated at church, but you can also celebrate it at home by placing an advent wreath on your dining room table and gathering together as a family for devotion and prayer. Find suggestions for readings and prayers at Liturgies.net’s Advent Resources page.