Advent wreath

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Diana_Catherine

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Do Eastern Catholics celebrate the Advent season before Christmas as Western Catholics using advent wreaths?

I recently learned that the advent wreath was started by the Lutheran church and adopted by Catholics, so I was just wondering is this just the western churches or do eastern churches use this also.
 
I don’t think it’s a traditional practice especially since our “Advent” is roughly 6 weeks long and begins tomorrow (for those on the Revised Julian and Gregorian Calenders). I have, however, seen Orthodox Advent “wreaths” consisting of 6 candles…not in purple and pink but in various colors…not sure when that started though 🙂

Advent isn’t really a liturgical season in the Byzantine East. However, the Nativity Fast (or Philips Fast) is what we are focusing on in preparation for Christmas 🙂
 
Fast? You mean you fast in the time leading the Christmas instead of devouring Christmas cookies!? Wow. guzzles cookie
 
Personally and IMHO, fasting is something the West would do well to re-establish. Advent shouldn’t be about celebrating Christ’s birth but about preparing for it. I admit I hear about it from time to time in homilies when I attend a Roman Mass but truth be told unless there is some “obligation under pain of mortal sin” attached, very few follow that.

From the Nativity to Theophany it is a fast free time and then we can truly celebrate Christ’s birth!

Have a Happy Feast of St. Nicholas of Myra :)…we are half way through Advent!
 
My understanding is the pre-conciliar Latin focus of Advent is more in touch with the Season of Nativity/Announcements in the East. My friend was explaining how the candles symbolize death, judgment, heaven and I forget the last one (perhaps Christ). Anyway, it’s a more somber season then it is made to be because it is penitential preparation as opposed to 4 weeks of partying.
 
MorEphrem said:
My understanding is the pre-conciliar Latin focus of Advent is more in touch with the Season of Nativity/Announcements in the East. My friend was explanation how the candles symbolize death, judgment, heaven and I forget the last one (perhaps Christ). Anyway, it’s a more somber season then it is made to be because it is penitential preparation as opposed to 4 weeks of partying.
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I think it might be “hope.” The “Christ Candle” is a fifth one, in white, that is sometimes used. But It’s true that the pre-conciliar Western Advent was far more penitential in character than what exists now. There was even a fast, similar to Lent.

BTW, the traditional Rito Ambrosiano observes a 6-week Advent cycle. 😉
 
If Western Advent used to be more penitential, I wonder why it isn’t now? Is it a Vatican 2 thing? Or did it just somehow evolve that way?
 
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