Search results for: “christmas”

In this guest blog, Rachel explains what makes advent such a special time for her.

“Christmas seems to get earlier every year. This year, I noticed the Christmas range on the shelves of my local supermarket on November 1st. It was as if the manager had cleared away the Halloween bits and pieces and put the Chocolate Oranges where the pumpkins had been sitting only 24 hours before.

“Over the next couple of weeks, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone,’ by Shakin’ Stevens found its way onto every shop playlist. Christmas had truly arrived.

“When everything proclaims that Christmas is here already – even in November – it can be easy to miss the beauty of advent. Advent is all about the wait. It’s a season in its own right which begins four Sundays before Christmas Day, when Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth. Many people will have an advent calendar to help them count down the long days towards December 25th. And in churches up and down the country, hundreds of thousands of Christians take time to reflect on the long journey to Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ was born 2000 years ago.

“This journey began, not with a donkey or even an angel in Nazareth, but as far back as the garden of Eden. That was the time, soon after man’s arrival on earth, when things began to go wrong and the rule of sin took over. It was the time when it became clear that the world needed a Saviour, somebody who could put things back on track.

“The Old Testament shows this journey continuing with God’s people, who were called to live in a way that showed a watching world what true love and justice looked like. But no matter how they tried, they could not live up to the calling. So the ancient prophets proclaimed that God would send His own servant to show people the way, living a life that was right with God and with fellow humankind. So for hundreds of years, the people waited for this ‘Messiah,’ until one day, in a small town of no special importance, an angel appeared to a young unmarried woman and shared the world-shaking news that the Son of God was to be born through her.

“Waiting is often seen as a bad thing in our culture. We have microwaves and fast-food restaurants so that we can get a meal instantly. We download songs we like via our phones the same minute that we hear them. But in advent, the wait for Christmas is a good thing. It’s not just about looking forward to a big party and lots of presents to maximise your excitement levels.

As with Lent, it is a time to prepare the heart. Pressing ‘pause’ on a busy life to marvel again at this historic event that changed the course of the world, when God himself came to earth in human form – the incarnation – to ‘seek and save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:10)

And remembering that this same God, who came to do wonders on earth 2000 years ago, wishes to do this today in those who wait for Him. In the words of my favourite carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem:

‘No ear may hear His coming, But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him Still the dear Christ enters in.’

All the answers to the following questions can be found on the site. Take the challenge and then let your teacher or parents know how you got on…

• 1. Who was the first person to design and print a Christmas card?
• 2. Where was Saint Nicholas born?
• 3. Where did the first Christmas carols come from?
• 4. What do the candles on the Advent wreath represent?
• 5. Where did the idea of the Christmas tree come from?
• 6. Why are there candy canes at Christmas?
• 7. Why is Christmas celebrated on the 25th of December?
• 8. Who is the star of our first Advent Adventure?
• 9. Why are presents given at Christmas?
• 10. When is Saint Nicholas’ day celebrated in the Netherlands?

• Have you ever wondered why the shepherds were scared of the angels?
• Were there really three wise men?
• And why did they bring such strange gifts for a baby?

Find out the answers to these and other such questions in this fun nativity story.

What is advent?

You might know the word ‘advent’ already. Many people have advent calendars in the weeks before Christmas, opening a door every day for 24 days and finding tasty chocolate behind each one!

But what does ‘advent’ mean?

It is the name of the special time before Christmas. It begins four Sundays before Christmas Day and ends on Christmas Eve.

‘Advent’ means ‘coming’.

During Advent, Christians get ready for Christmas when they think about Jesus coming to earth as a baby.

What symbols do you find in churches during advent?

Many churches and some schools have an advent wreath. The round garland is a symbol of God, without beginning or end. There are four candles on the outside of the wreath with a fifth one in the centre. The four candles can be blue or red, and the centre one is white or gold.

In some places, there are three purple candles and one pink on the outside, with a white one in the middle. The first candle is lit on the first Sunday of advent and then a new one is lit every Sunday leading up to Christmas. The middle candle is lit on Christmas Day. It is a symbol of Jesus, the Light of the World.

What do the candles on the Advent Wreath mean?

There are different beliefs about the meaning of the candles. However, a lot of Christians think of each of the four candles as representing special people from the Bible who looked forward to Jesus’ coming:

• The first purple candle stands for God’s people. This is the candle of hope.
• The second candle reminds people of the Old Testament prophets who looked forward to the birth of the Messiah, who God would send to save His people. This is the candle of peace.
• The third candle is a symbol of John the Baptist, a prophet from Jesus’ time who told people that God was coming soon. It is known as the candle of love.
• The fourth candle reminds Christians of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This candle represents joy.

Think you know the Christmas story? Let’s see how well you do with the Christmas Quiz.

Click on the panel to begin…