ADVENT (Lat. advent us. the approneh, coining), or TIME OF ADVENT. A term ap plied by the Christian Church to certain weeks before Christmas. In the Greek Church the time of Advent comprises forty days: hut in the Roman Church and those Protestant churches in which Advent is observed, only four weeks. The origin of this festival as a church ordinanve is not clear. A synod at Saragossa, Spain, in 380, enjoined that every one must attend church from December 17 to Epiphany; but not till the sixth century was Advent fully adopted as a church season. The four Sundays of Advent. as observed in the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England, were probably intro duced into the calendar by Gregory the Great. It was common from an early period to speck of the coming of Christ as his "first coming in the flesh:" his coming at the hour of death to receive his faithful followers (aceord ing to the expressions used by St. John) ; his coming at the fall of Jerusalem (Matthew xxiv : 30), and at the day of judgment. According to this fourfold view of Advent, the "gospels" were chosen for the four Sundays, as was settled in the western church by the Domilarium of Charle magne. The season of Advent, is intended to accord in spirit with the object velebrated. As mankind were once called upon to prepare them selves for the personal coming of Christ. so, ac
cording to the idea that the ecclesiastical year should represent the life of the founder of the Church, Christians are exhorted, during this sea son, to look for a spiritual advent of Christ. The time of the year when the shortening days are hastening toward the solstice—which al most eoineides with the festival of. the Nativity —is thought to horn lllll ize with the strain of sentiment proper (hiring Advent. In opposition, possibly, to heathen festivals. I Ahwrvvd by an cient Romans and Germans. took place at the same season. the Catholie ordained that the four weeks of Advent should be kept as a time of peniteiuoe; according to the words of Christ: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." During these weeks, therefore, public amusements. marriage festivities, and dancing were prohibited. fasts were appointed. and som bre garments were used in religious ceremonies. The Protestant Church in Germany has also ab stained from public recreations and celebrations of marriage during Advent. in the Greek Church the season dates from a period much later than in the Latin, perhaps not till the tenth century.