Advent is a season all on its own.
It isn’t Christmas yet, so our décor is not “Christmassy” yet.
Advent décor consists of:
Blue or purple hangings
an Advent Wreath
Greenery, boughs or swags
with modest blue or purple accents.
Why is that? Well, Here is a bit of explanation from the Anglican Church of England:
Waiting is hard, but Christmas is worth waiting for – it’s a special time, and at its heart is a gift of love from God to the world.
Here’s what you might see in church during Advent:-
Fewer decorations – but there might be greenery instead of flowers. This allows us to recognise that the Christian life isn’t all about celebration. It’s about hope and faith during times of sadness and challenge, too. There have been many times in history when God’s people have longed for God to come and save them, and there are times in our own life when we pray that God would come and help us, too. Those times can feel like a long, dark night. We long for the greenery to turn to flowers, just as we long for our sadness and our hope to turn to joy.
An Advent wreath with candles on it. One candle is lit each week (usually at the start of the service) – often with a special song or prayer. (Families may put their own Advent Wreath together, to mark off the weeks until Christmas. 4 Candles with one large one, the 5th candle for Christ’s birth, at the center
Many churches try really hard not to start Christmas too soon, maybe waiting till Christmas Eve to sing the carols. Saving the Christmas carols till Christmas itself means they feel even more special when you do sing them! Advent is a really important time to pray for peace and love to fill the world so you may hear more of these kinds of prayers in church.
