We are now in Advent which is part of the religous Christmas preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ. It started last Sunday and continues for the next 3 Sundays before Christmas. The religous preparations include the telling of the Christmas Story so that it is understood by converts or children;readings from the Old Testament fortelling the coming of the Messiah with whom Christ is identified; and preparing for the second coming. Christians believe that Christmas celebrates the first coming of Christ as God made man but that at the end of time he will come again; the dead will rise ( which is why some Christians insist on whole body burial) and that he will Judge both the living and dead, condemnig the unworthy to eternal torture in Hell and allowing the worthy into Heaven. Depending on the particular branch of Christianity and the age of the audience the emphasis of the sermons changes.
A german custom was to give children an Advent Calender with a window which could be opened each day in December revealing a picture illustrating part of the Christmas story. The idea has been imported into the UK and sis very popular but nowadays the windows reveal a chocolate imprinted with a shape associated with the secular Christmas or a toy.
Other traditions imported from Scandinavian countries involve the making of an Advent wreath with a candle lit for each Sunday or lighting candles.
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