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Advent

Celebrating Advent involves spending time in spiritual preparation for the coming birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. 

 The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning "arrival" or "coming," particularly the coming of something of great importance. 

 No one is really sure when Advent was first celebrated but it dates back to at least 567 when monks were ordered to fast during December leading up to Christmas. 

 Not all denominations celebrate Advent, however, more and more Protestant and Evangelical Christians are recognising the spiritual significance of Advent.

Advent is NOT:

 

* Shopping

* Parties

* Stressing

 

Advent is:

 

* Waiting

* Preparing

* Expecting

* Praying

* Hoping

 

for the arrival of Christ.

 

During Advent, people are using special advent calendars.

There are many types of calendars used in different countries. The most common ones in the UK and USA or here in Sweden are made of paper or card with 24 or 25 little windows on. A window is opened on every day in December and a Christmas picture is displayed underneath.

 

In Sweden it is a tradition to put a seven candle electric light in the window, and when I was young at school, we lit a special candle every morning, from December 1 until December 23 when school closed for the Christmas holidays.

 

Christmas is the biggest celebration all over the world. It's the longest as well. Christmas is celebrated for one month, if you want to celebrate it properly. 

 

Christmas is a very special time of the year. It doesn't matter how you celebrate it , you can't really miss that it is Christmas.

You see that out on the streets, in newspapers and magazines, on TV and you hear it on radio, Christmas is everywhere!

 

 

Christmas is a time for celebration

Christmas is a time for salvation

Christmas is a time for reconciliation

 

We celebrate that Jesus Christ is born. God decided that he wanted to become one of us. He wanted to do so in order to talk to us, to help us, to show us how much he loves us.

 

We read in Luke 2:10 that: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people".

 

 

The news that he brings is:

 

God loves you

God is with you

God is for you

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