In our modern life as Christ has been replaced by Santa in the festivities, it is time to choose to take the rough, straight path that we were given rather than the easy path of the world. It is time to say that we are in a time of preparation for The Christ rather than the Christmas Season. This is not to say that we can’t go to Christmas Programs and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” one more time. It means that we watch our words, rather than mindlessly saying “Merry Christmas” to our friends, we should be saying “Are you ready for The Christ?”. In the 1500’s in England it was traditional to greet each other during Advent with the Greeting “Do you have oil in your lamp?” or “Is your lamp ready for the Bridegroom?” Both reminders of Christ’s parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins waiting for the Bridegroom. It should be a reminder to us to be sure that not only is our worldly life ready for Christmas, but that our hearts and souls need to be made ready also.
What can you do, both as a person and as a member of a family to put preparation and waiting back in Advent and Christ back in Christmas?
Advent is also a time of reflecting back over the original Covenants with God–the Old Testament. Since early times it has been traditional to “trace the Covenant” in daily readings. There are several countries that have plays that trace the Covenant in festivals. Bands of traveling entertainers would go from place to place and share the stories and traditions as well as the music and food. Another tradition that is tied to tracing the Covenant is the first bread puddings (Plum Pudding to Dickens fans). Many years ago, the crust of each Sunday’s loaf of bread was dried and put in a container. On Stir-Up Sunday (The last Sunday of the Liturgical Year) the family would make the Christmas Plum Pudding from the years crusts and the best brandy was poured over it for aging. Stir-Up Sunday got it’s name from the collect for the day which started “Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people.”
In the Northern Hemisphere it has also been a traditional time of house cleaning. The fall was full of hunting and harvest, all is safely gathered in and preserved so now it is time to clean up the accumulated mess. The wool that was shorn the previous spring was now cleaned, combed, spun and woven as the family sat around the warm fires of the home. Plates and spoons were carved from wood and other household implements were fashioned and invented around the fireplace. Stories were told and the Gospel was shared from Father to Child and Grandmother to Grandchild. In Norway the last Sunday before Christmas is called Dirty Sunday as everyone finishes the cleaning, polishing and mending to prepare for the Christ Child.
Welcome to the beginning of another new year in the life of the ancient branch of Christ’s Holy Family. The Anglican Communion had its roots in the approximate year of 75AD when Roman Citizens went to what is now the British Isles and started the first churches. Later (about AD 600) Pope Gregory I sent Augustine (the first Archbishop of Canterbury) to convert the Anglo Saxons. The Church of England and the Church of Rome were joined and separated several times over the next 1000 years with the final split taking place during the time of King Henry VIII and his descendants. Out of this background and common worship came a common basic liturgical calendar that is followed by many denominations to this day. The New Year begins with a period of preparation and meditation followed by the festivities of the Christmas season, which is the day of Christmas and the next 11 days afterwards.
The calendar we follow is based on several different people and events. Prior to AD 533, dates in Italy and lower Europe (the center of the world to them) based their calendars from the foundation of Rome (753 BC) . Their dates had the letters AUC before them (Ab Urbe Condita, from the foundation of the city). A Russian monk called Dionysius Exiguus (the little) moved to Italy and started to determine the dates from the birth of Christ. (We now know that he was off by about 3-8 years, as Herod died in March of the year AUC 750 and astronomers place the unusual star display as being part of one of several major events falling between 9 and 4 BC). The date for Christ’s birth has been placed in every month of the year by various scholars. December 25th was chosen by Pope Julius I after St Cyrus of Jerusalem appealed to him to settle the matter of what date to celebrate the birth. Many of our traditions and celebrations come from the local culture of the converts and used as a means of conversion during the first centuries. It is no accident that the celebration of the Light of the World was placed at the time of the Winter Solstice and at the same time of almost all of the Middle Eastern and European ancient festivals of light. It was a way to incorporate Christianity into the lives of the converts and to help them with the transition into a new way of life. Advent was originally a way to cut down on several of the more barbaric and pagan feasts and celebrations. It then became a time of reflection and preparation. It is said to symbolize the Four Comings of the Son of God: in the flesh, in the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit; at the death of every man; and at the Day of Judgement. The fourth week is never completed, just as the glory of His coming will never end. Advent starts on the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew’s Day (November 30) and includes the four Sundays before Christmas.
