Advent’s Meaning: Four Sundays, Three Ways Christ Comes
Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming”, and it names the season that opens the Western church year. It covers the four Sundays before Christmas and prepares believers for Christ’s coming, both his birth at Bethlehem and his promised return. The USCCB describes it as the first season of the liturgical year.
TL;DR:
Western churches begin Advent on the Sunday nearest November 30, so its start shifts yearly; commercial calendars instead begin December 1.
Many traditions describe Christ’s coming as past at Bethlehem, present through Scripture and Sacraments, and future in his return; Advent’s mood is hopeful, not penitential.
The familiar wreath with four candles dates to 19th century Germany and simplifies a custom with 24 candles; purple signals preparation, while rose marks joy.
A household can mark each Sunday with one candle and a short reading, a modest practice the article recommends over an ambitious plan.
Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist churches observe Advent, but Eastern churches follow a preparatory season with a different length and form.
Table of Contents
What does the word “Advent” mean and where does it come from?
The word traces back to the Latin adventus, which comes from advenīre, “to come”. It travelled through Middle English from Medieval Latin, and Merriam-Webster records it with two distinct senses:
A general sense: an “arrival” or “appearance”, with no religious meaning attached.
A capitalised sense: Advent as the liturgical season that begins four Sundays before Christmas.
You can see both in everyday speech. “The advent of new technology” simply means technology has arrived. “Advent season” points to the church calendar, with its readings, candles and colours.
The two senses are related, and that is the heart of it. The Christian season borrows an ordinary word for arrival and gives it a particular arrival to wait for. We find that the plain meaning of “coming” is the best way into everything else the season holds.
When does Advent begin, and why does the date move?
In Western churches, Advent opens the church year and normally begins on the Sunday nearest to 30 November. Because it is tied to Sundays rather than a fixed date, its length shifts from year to year, though it always runs through the four Sundays and the weekdays between them.
A few things are worth keeping in mind:
It starts the year, not ends it. The church calendar begins with Advent, then moves on to Christmas and Epiphany.
It is not a December countdown. Shop-bought calendars often start on 1 December, but the church season moves with the Sundays.
Traditions differ. Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist churches all observe Advent, while Eastern churches keep their own preparatory season with a different length and shape.
If your calendar app says Advent starts on a different day to the church bulletin, both can be right. One counts days, the other counts Sundays.
What is the threefold coming of Christ?
Many Christian traditions describe Advent as threefold: the Incarnation at Bethlehem, Christ’s present coming to believers through the Word and Sacraments, and the anticipation of his final coming in glory.
Each strand shows up in worship. Readings from the prophets and the Gospel birth narratives look back to Bethlehem. Prayers asking Christ to meet us in Scripture, in bread and wine, and in our neighbours speak to his presence now. Passages about watchfulness and the end of time lean forward to his return.
That mix explains the tone of the season. The USCCB describes Advent as devout and expectant delight rather than primarily penitential. Purple carries a note of preparation and the royal dignity of the King who is to arrive, but the dominant mood is hope.
So Advent holds remembrance, present devotion and future hope together. It is not only sorrow, and it is not only a forecast. It is a way of learning to live attentively between the first coming and the last.
What do the Advent wreath, candles, calendar and colours symbolise?
The modern Advent wreath carries four candles, one for each Sunday, and they are commonly tied to hope, peace, joy and love. Purple is used for preparation, while rose may be used on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, as a sign of joy breaking through the preparation. Purple here, as the USCCB notes, shares a colour with Lent but not its main tone.
The four-candle wreath is a 19th-century simplification of an older German custom that originally used 24 candles. What looks ancient is a modern distillation, and it was designed so a household could mark each Sunday at the table.
A few more points on how these symbols fit together:
Wreath: the circle suggests continuity, and the greenery points to life that endures.
Colours: purple for preparation and kingship, rose for the pause of joy.
Calendar: commercial Advent calendars typically start on 1 December and are a later, secular development, separate from the variable-length church season.
None of these needs to be elaborate. A single candle and a short reading carry the meaning just as well.
How do churches and families observe Advent today?
In church, Advent usually follows a recognisable pattern:
Themed Sundays: hope, peace, joy and love, each given its own focus.
Quieter music and decoration: carols often wait for Christmas itself, so the season keeps a sense of anticipation.
Special readings and liturgies: prophetic texts, John the Baptist and the birth narratives.
Candle lighting: one more candle each week, often with a short prayer.
At home, the practices can be even simpler: lighting the wreath at dinner, a few minutes of daily reading, or one small act of generosity each week. Families wanting stories for younger children might try Advent stories for children, which suggests texts for reading aloud. For wider ideas on living faith rhythms in the household, see our piece on being the church at home.
Pro Tip: Pick one practice and keep it small, such as lighting a single candle each Sunday and reading one short passage aloud. A modest habit you keep beats an ambitious plan you abandon.
How did Advent develop over the centuries?
Advent’s roots lie in early medieval preparation for Christmas, including seasons of fasting before the feast. Over time, the focus shifted from penitence toward expectation, which is why the tone today is closer to hopeful waiting.
The customs most people recognise are younger. The wreath and the calendar took their familiar forms in 19th-century Germany, when an older folk custom of 24 candles was simplified to four and the calendar became a countdown that commonly begins on 1 December.
It would be a mistake to picture one uniform practice handed down unchanged. Traditions vary by time, place and denomination, and each generation has reshaped the season to suit its own life. What stays steady is the central idea: a deliberate pause to prepare for the coming of Christ.
Why Advent shapes how we follow Jesus
At our church, we see Advent as formation, not decoration. Waiting is a discipline, and it trains us to look for Jesus in ordinary days, shared meals and the people next to us. That fits the way we try to live as a community in Canberra, where faith is practised through relationships and everyday rhythms, not only on Sundays. We explore that vision further in what church is supposed to be.
If you would like to walk through the season with others, we would love to have you. Look at our Grow page for groups and next steps, or book a space for your own Advent gathering.
— Josh
FAQ
What does “Advent” mean in simple words?
Advent means “coming” or “arrival”, from the Latin adventus. In the church it names the season of waiting before Christmas, when Christians prepare for Christ’s birth and look ahead to his return.
What is the difference between Advent and Christmas?
Advent is the preparation, and Christmas is the celebration. Advent spans the four Sundays before Christmas, while Christmas marks the birth of Jesus and, in the Western church calendar, follows Advent.
Is an Advent calendar the same as the Advent season?
Not quite. Commercial calendars typically start on 1 December, but the church season begins on a Sunday and varies in length. The calendar is a later, secular development alongside the season.
Do all Christian churches observe Advent?
Many do, including Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist churches, though their customs differ. Some Christian traditions give the season little formal attention, so practice varies widely.
Sources
- Scholars | Britannica Kids | Encyclopedia](https://kids.britannica.com/scholars/article/Advent/3812)
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