The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word “adventus,” meaning “coming.” Advent is a celebration period for the birth of Christ, and also preparation for the secondhand coming of Christ. The season shows Christians how to be patient, as the slow count down is similar to having to be patient in the waiting for Christ’s second coming.

The Advent season is represented by the lighting of candles on an Advent wreath, with each candle symbolizing different parts of the journey toward the birth of Christ. The first candle, which is purple, signifies hope. The second candle, also purple, represents love. The third, pink or rose-colored, symbolizes joy. And the fourth, another purple one, stands for peace. The lighting of these candles is a symbolic gesture, echoing the spiritual journey towards the coming of the light of the world. The third color is pink because rose is the liturgical color for joy. Joy is experienced in this third week because it is the midpoint in Advent, and very close to Christ’s birthday.

Advent can also be seen as the warmup to Christmas, with the slow anticipation of slowly lighting one candle each week. Advent takes places over the four weeks before Christmas, with the fifth candle being lit on Christmas day.

Advent is celebrated all around the globe by Western Churches and Christians everywhere. Advent is also a very popular holiday within the church, as it is the buildup for one of the most important and celebrated days of the year, Christmas.