What is Advent?
Author: Eli Pacheco
Date Published: December 03, 2024
The Christmas season overflows with joyous traditions – carolers fill the streets, greeting cards arrive in mailboxes and Santa’s sleigh sparks wonder in kids everywhere, all against the landscape of bustling holiday sales.
Nevertheless, amid this whirlwind of excitement, it’s easy for the true spirit of Advent to be diminished, making it harder to pause and be immersed in its deeper meaning.
In Catholicism, Advent marks the four Sundays and weekdays before Christmas, commemorating the coming of Jesus. The term comes from the Latin adventus (arrival). Advent also starts the liturgical year for Roman Catholics.
Advent explained
Advent is a period for Christians to prepare for Jesus’ second coming. Each of its four weeks focuses on similar themes, though celebrations may differ.
Hope
Peace
Joy
Love
How can we prepare for the spiritual journey? We asked four friars for advice. But first:
Who celebrates Advent?
Advent is celebrated by Christians worldwide.
Anglicans
Lutherans
Orthodox Christians
Protestants
Roman Catholics
Some use an Advent wreath as a concrete reminder of the season's significance.
When is Advent?
Advent in 2025 runs from Sunday, Nov. 30 to Wednesday, Dec. 24, starting four Sundays before Christmas. In Advent, we actively prepare for Christ's return by practicing penance and setting our hearts for the joy of Christmas. From Dec. 17 to Dec. 24, we sing the “O” Antiphons, which reference Old Testament imagery about Christ’s coming. Christmas, formally the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, is a Holy Day of Obligation. Fulfill your obligation by attending Mass either on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) or Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and avoid unnecessary work.
Preparing for Advent
Although many Catholics follow Advent traditions, some remain unsure about aspects of it. Friars from the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe offer tips for honoring Advent.
George Becker
1. Attend Mass more often
On Jan. 6, 2026, the Catholic Church will close a Jubilee Year declared by Pope Francis as a “year of hope” amid worldwide challenges such as war, COVID-19 and climate change. Br. Jim Gannon, OFM, sees attending Advent Mass as a significant finale to this year.
He cites Romans 15:13 (NIV): May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“The word that stuck with me is – hope!” Br. Jim said. “Advent is referred to as a season of joyful expectations. The theme for this jubilee year is Pilgrims of Hope. The Church and world need the hope that a holy year brings to serve as a positive goal for tomorrow.”
Try this
Pay attention to Jubilee Year messages during Mass. “We hear God's hope for creation,” Br. Jim said. “May hope fill our days.”
Photo by Pixabay
2. Reflect with an Advent wreath
The Advent wreath symbolizes the meaning of the season. Br. Ed Tlucek, OFM, tells us about its significance.
Circular shape of the wreath
“This represents the eternal nature of God – His never-ending love, mercy, and faithfulness,” Br. Ed said. “It also symbolizes the unending cycle of seasons and the continuous nature of time.”
Evergreen branches
“Evergreen branches, which do not lose their leaves in winter, represent the everlasting life found in Christ,” Br. Ed said. “They symbolize hope and renewal, pointing to the promise of eternal life through Jesus.”
Lighting of candles
“This is an important tradition,” Br. Ed said. “The light from the candles represents Christ coming into the world.”
Photo by Jeswin Thomas
3. Find room for silence
Br. Carmen Scuderi, OFM, shares a tale about the Great Spirit – an image of God in Indigenous cultures – to highlight the value of hopeful calm during Advent. The Great Wind brings love, but is blocked by the chaos of one house. Wind’s succeeding stop was quieter, but the people there were too absorbed in thought to catch the message.
Wind reached a modest shack, where a kind couple lived. The Wind brought them a visitor who provided unimaginable generosity. Wind told the Great Spirit they were ready and willing to listen. "They are calm enough to hear my message," she said.
“Our days and nights can often be crowded with noise and self-absorption, and in the din, we often miss the Whispering Dance of the Wind,” Br. Carmen said.
“Advent reminds us to give pause to the din, find the spot where the fire within still burns, and allow the Wind of God's Spirit to quietly whisper the Gift and the Love: ‘God so loved the World He gave His only begotten Son,” he said, quoting John 3:16.
Try this
Set aside a day for retreat during Advent. Take a tranquil walk or spend time in an empty church for reflection and prayer.
4. Prepare yourself for a meaningful confession
Advent is a time for penance. Br. Hugh Macsherry, OFM, mentions Advent's seriousness compared to Christmas joy. “It’s a mood of preparation more than anything … preparation for Christmas, to celebrate Christ’s birth and eagerly await his coming in glory,” he said.
Br. Hugh remembers a Mission Theology and Practice class with Fr. David Blanchard, O.Carm, who highlighted El Salvador's Advent tradition of Las Posadas, in which villages apply song and gathering to resolve tensions. “They sang songs about the Holy Family’s search for lodging, often sharing hot cocoa and pan dulce (sweet bread) and asking, ‘Are we good?’,” Br. Hugh said. Posadas are not acts of penance but rather teach forgiveness suitable to the season.
“In this sense of preparation for the coming of Christ's kingdom, we think of joyful preparation for the sacrament of penance,” Br. Hugh said. “The sense of getting ready for a party: the effort, care and attention, the desire to be with others sincerely.”
Try this
Mercy can be challenging, but intentional forgiveness, like in Posada, benefits both society and people over time. Reflect on opportunities to offer or receive forgiveness from those around you. “There is a grace needed to live in the right relationship to which Christ, born among us and ready to come again, calls us,” Br. Hugh said. “This is celebrated in the sacrament of confession, penance, reconciliation — whatever you want to call it.”
Basil Valente prays before the San Damiano Cross at the Basilica of St. Clare in Assisi
5. Pray more (and for guidance)
Br. Erick López, OFM, likens prayer to soup – specifically caldosa, which is known by different names across Latin America. “From el Río Bravo to la Patagonia, including the Caribbean, has some version of caldosa, depending on the ingredients available in the region,” said Br. Erick.
Caldosa contains necessities, such as:
Cilantro
Corn
Garlic
Onion
Potatoes
Local ingredients and water go into a pot on the stove, then people wait. “In the same way, Advent is celebrated everywhere in the Christian world according to the local religious culture,” Br. Erick said. “Yet, there are basic ingredients that need to be used for Advent to be Advent.” He named these ingredients:
Christ arrived as a child 2,000 years ago
Christ still comes to us, so be sober and watchful to rediscover him, learn more from him, and convert to him again
Christ will return in glory
“When we mix these ingredients in the pot of our beings, all it is left for us to do is to wait while they cook,” Br. Erick said. “Waiting for the Lord is the focus of Advent.”
Anticipating the Lord isn't like sitting in a doctor's office, expecting the nurse's eventual return, even if it means getting a shot. “It means to wait fruitfully!” Br. Erick said. “It is the waiting of the pregnant woman ... she thinks carefully through her path ahead, delights in anticipation, and waits for her baby by doing a bunch of material and spiritual things. She re-arranges her life around her little person’s arrival.”
Try this:
Pray for guidance as you wait and prepare for Advent. “In His presence, we have experienced compassion and new hope, which infuses how we act toward our brothers and sisters and is exactly what the world around us, especially the little ones of the earth, need the most,” Br. Erick said. “Spending time with him, thinking through our path ahead, delighting in anticipation, and rearranging our lives around the Lord’s coming will make for a tasty Advent.”
Advent preparation for kids
The entire family can get ready for Advent. Try these three ways to include your kids.
1. Make a Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree, named after King David’s father, serves children learning about Jesus’ family tree by making ornaments that illustrate his ancestors.
2. Bless your Advent wreath
The Advent wreath educates children about Christmas and helps them count down to Christmas Day. To begin Advent, use this Advent Wreath Blessing from the USCCB.
3. Set up and bless your nativity
St. Francis of Assisi produced the first live Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy, in 1223, using animals and a manger to represent Jesus’ birth with everyday items. Nativity scenes encourage us to picture ourselves at the event.
Many place baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning, and some move the figures of the wise men nearer to the manger throughout Advent, symbolizing the story of the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-15). Learn about how to set up a nativity scene.