Learn about Advent in the United Kingdom
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| Hi everyone, I'm Gina. |
| Advent is the period that leads into Christmas. It is an important time of preparation and expectant waiting. |
| In this lesson, you're going to learn about what Advent means in the UK. |
| Advent is an anglicisation of the Latin word 'adventus'. What does 'adventus' mean? |
| We’ll show you the answer at the end of this video. |
| Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year, or church year, and begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas so it always falls between the 27th of November and the 3rd of December. The religious meaning behind the Advent period is to anticipate and prepare for the Second Coming of Christ by anticipating and preparing Christmas. |
| The lighting of an Advent wreath is a common way to countdown to Christmas. The wreath is made of evergreen branches and have four candles arranged around it. The candles represent the four Sundays of Advent, and one candle is lit on each Sunday in Advent. Often, there is a fifth candle in the centre and this last candle is lit on Christmas Day. |
| Advent is also a countdown to Christmas for the non-religious as Advent calendars are a very popular form of confectionary. These are a type of calendar that have a door for every day of Advent. Behind each door is an item, usually chocolate, and people use them as a countdown to Christmas. The chocolates are often moulded into the shape of Christmas icons such as mistletoe and bells. |
| Advent is the time when Christmas preparations really move up a gear. Presents are wrapped, trees are decorated and every town and city becomes Christmassy thanks to decorations and illuminations. |
| And now I'll give you the answer to the earlier quiz. |
| Advent is an anglicisation of the Latin word 'adventus'. What does 'adventus' mean? |
| It means 'coming' or 'arrival'. Advent is literally the arrival of Christmas. In the past, many loan words were anglified to make them easier for English speakers to understand. |
| How was this lesson? Did you learn something interesting? |
| Do you have any countdown periods in your country for any special days? |
| Leave us a comment at EnglishClass101.com. And we'll see you in the next lesson! |
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