Advent Is Separate from Christmas
Advent as a liturgical season is quite ancient. The season itself went through slow development, taking form in the 4th century and reaching a definite form in Rome by the 6th century. Advent starts on the Sunday nearest Nov 30th, which is the Feast of Saint Andrew, and it formed the beginning of the liturgical year by the 10th century.
It is because Advent was fashioned after Lent that it had forty days originally in some areas. Advent began even earlier in other areas with a start date in September! This formed the basis of the monastic fast (where monks fasted for more than half the year). By the 6th-7th centuries the length of Advent was set as a span of four Sundays. The 1962 Missal texts preserve most of the ancient Masses of this season.[1]
Advent is a liturgical season rich in customs that allow us to more spiritually enter the mystery of the End of Times and Our Lord’s Nativity in the flesh 2,000 years ago. Especially in a society that rushes Christmas and obscures all penance and preparation, we would do well to properly observe Advent as distinct from Christmas.
The Christmas season starts – not ends – on December 25 and lasts until February 2.[2] On that day, also called Candlemas, the Church celebrates the Purification of Our Lady and the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple (the Second Joyful Mystery). As per the Mosaic Law, a woman was to undergo a ritual purification 40 days after the birth of a male son. Hence, the Christmas Season normally lasts for 40 days.
Advent Is a Penitential Season
Too many Catholics celebrate Advent in a highly secularized manner. They spend Advent shopping for gifts, baking goodies, singing joyous carols, and going to parties, as if it were already Christmas. These are all wonderful activities, but we should use them to celebrate the birth of Christ, not engage in them during the season which Holy Mother Church has designated as penitential.
Advent should be more like a short Lent. Each year, Fr. Michael Rodríguez reminds us of the importance of Advent. He notes that the more we focus on our spiritual preparation during Advent (e.g., prayer, fasting, almsgiving, penance, practicing virtue, Marian devotions, etc.), then the more grace-filled will be our Christmas. Many special graces are available during these liturgical seasons. Catholics often fail to benefit from them because they are following secular customs instead of our religious traditions.
How Can We Decorate for Advent?
Weeks before we decorate for Christmas, we should decorate for Advent! To this end, setting up an Advent wreath, Jesse Tree, and/or Nativity scene are great ideas which can begin at the start of Advent.
The Advent wreath, which has German origins, is probably the most recognized Advent custom. It is a wreath made of evergreens that is often, but not necessarily, bound to a circle of wire. It symbolizes the many years from Adam to Christ in which the world awaited its Redeemer; it also represents the years that we have waited for His Final Coming in glory. The wreath holds four equally spaced candles; the three purple ones are lit on the “penitential” Sundays and the pink one for Gaudete, the joyful third Sunday in Advent. The traditional blessing of an Advent wreath, and the weekly prayers for the Advent wreath lighting, can be found online.
The Jesse Tree depicts Christ’s ancestry through symbols and relates Scripture to salvation history, progressing from creation to the birth of Christ. See the Fish Eaters website for more information on making one as a family. These often coincide with Advent calendars, which also can help us count down the days to Christmas.
Setting up the Nativity scene is an excellent way to teach children the story of Christmas. In Advent, the Three Wise Men statues should be stationed far away from the central figures of Mary and Joseph. Similarly, the Baby Jesus should not be displayed yet. As Advent unfolds, day by day have someone in your family – ideally a small child – move the Three Wise Men closer to the Holy Family. On Christmas Eve, put the Baby Jesus in the manger and say the traditional family prayer to bless the Nativity scene. Keep advancing the Three Wise Men until January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany, when they finally arrive to adore the newborn King. Children should know the difference between Christmas and Epiphany and understand the 12 Days of Christmas are those between the two Feasts – not the 12 days leading up to Christmas.
When Should We Begin Decorating for Christmas?
When we can start decorating for Christmas is an often-debated item. In a world where the Christmas tree in secular or Protestant homes is set up around Thanksgiving (or even before!) the Catholic world is seen as an outlier. While it is not appropriate to display a Christmas tree early in the Advent season, when it can be put up is debated. For instance, some people will choose to put the tree up on Gaudete Sunday but not light or decorate (i.e., trim) it until Christmas Eve. Others will wait until Christmas Eve to put the tree up and trim it at that same time. The same can be said for outside lights. They can be installed on any weather-appropriate day but should not be lit until the Christmas Season has begun.
In any case, the tree should be up for at least the completion of the 12 days of Christmas – which run until Epiphany, on January 6th. However, in observance of the ancient Octave of the Epiphany, January 13th is the most appropriate day to take down the tree, though some families will even keep it up until Candlemas on February 2nd, the official 40th and last day of the Christmas season. If you do choose to keep the tree up until Candlemas, simply ensure that it is taken down before Septuagesima Sunday in the years when Septuagesima starts before February 2nd.
The Importance of the Christmas Tree
More and more frequently, families are blessing their Christmas trees. It is good to remind children that “the tree” relates to many aspects of our Faith.[3] For example, we are reminded that our first parents were not allowed to eat from one tree, and that Christ paid the great price for our redemption by hanging on a tree (cf. Acts 5:29-32). The Traditional Blessing for a Christmas Tree is quite beautifully said on Christmas Eve as we finally transition from the penance and preparation of Advent to the joy of Christmastide.
Let Advent be Advent and save the lighting and decorating of the Christmas tree for Christmas Eve night after First Vespers.
[1] There are years when Septuageisma begins before February 2, effectively shortening the Christmas season. This happens when Ash Wednesday falls on a calendar day before February 20.
[2] For more on Advent, see https://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2005/11/what-is-advent.html
[3] For more on the history of the Christmas tree, see https://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-history-of-christmas-tree.html