other than the shade is there really a difference between a purple or a violet colored vestment and their use during Advent or Lent.
unfortunately there is a heated discussion going on about this in my parish.
I personally believe it much to due about nothing but I’ve been wrong before.
I agree with you that this is much ado about nothing. According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (346, d) “Violet or purple is used in Advent and Lent.” And the USCCB’s Liturgical Notes About Advent simply states: “The liturgical color for Advent is purple, just like Lent.”
No distinction is made between the colors for Advent and Lent. Some local customs have popped up over time that use violet (which is closer to blue on the color spectrum) for Advent and purple (which is closer to red on the color spectrum) for Lent. However this is not an actual distinction that is made by the Church. The Church makes no distinction between colors used for Advent and Lent. You are correct that other than the shade of the color there is no liturgical difference.