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83-505: Advent is a season in the Christian calendar preceding Christmas. It is synonymous with the secularized Christmas season . Advent may also refer to: Advent Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming . It begins on

166-679: A fireworks show on Saint Martin's Street. Goose meat dishes are also eaten during the holiday. The biggest event in Slovenia is the St. Martin's Day celebration in Maribor which marks the symbolic winding up of all the wine growers' endeavours. There is the ceremonial "christening" of the new wine, and the arrival of the Wine Queen. The square Trg Leona Štuklja is filled with musicians and stalls offering autumn produce and delicacies. In some parts of Ireland , on

249-455: A beggar who was dressed in only rags in the depth of winter. That night Martin had a vision of Jesus Christ wearing the half-cloak. In his study Medieval English Martinmesse: The Archaeology of a Forgotten Festival , Martin Walsh suggests that 'Martinmas' had roots in a pre-Christian festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. In the ancient Roman world , 10 November

332-608: A bonfire. St Martin's Day ( Mortensdag ), November 11, and St Martin's Eve ( Mortensaften ), November 10, was an early autumn feast in Denmark. Eating St Martin's goose ( mortensgås ) St Martin's Eve was a well-known custom in Denmark. The oldest known Danish source is from 1616. Today, the goose is often replaced by duck. St Martin's Day or St Martin's Eve ( Mårtensafton ) was an important medieval autumn feast in Sweden. In early November, geese are ready for slaughter, and on St Martin's Eve it

415-506: A character called Pelzmärten (' pelt Martin' or 'skin Martin') appeared at Martinmas until the 19th century. With a black face and wearing a cow bell, he ran about frightening children, and he dealt out blows as well as nuts and apples. In the 6th century, church councils began requiring fasting on all days, except Saturdays and Sundays, from Saint Martin's Day to Epiphany (elsewhere, the Feast of

498-705: A custom that is sometimes done liturgically through a hanging of the greens ceremony. The analogue of Advent in Eastern Christianity is called the Nativity Fast , but it differs in meaning, length, and observances, and does not begin the liturgical church year as it does in the West. The Eastern Nativity Fast does not use the term parousia in its preparatory services. In the Anglican , Lutheran , Moravian , Presbyterian , and Methodist calendars, Advent begins on

581-670: A federal state in Austria, November 11th is a holiday by state law in Burgenland. Sint-Maarten is an old harvest festival that is celebrated in many European countries and precedes the fasting period of Advent. In the Netherlands , on the evening of 11 November, children went door to door with lanterns made of hollowed-out sugar beet . This has been replaced by paper lanterns, usually crafted by themselves. They sing songs such as "Sinte(re) Sinte(re) Maarten", to receive sweets or fruit in return. In

664-727: A few centuries. In the Archdiocese of Milan according to Ancient Ambrosian Liturgical usage the feast of St Martin is followed by the First Sunday in Advent (the 6 weeks period is still used in this large Diocese and the Churches outside it, such as in Ticino (Switzerland) that do still use the Ambrosian Liturgy. In Austria, St Martin's Day is celebrated similar to Germany. The nights before and on

747-584: A harsh winter will follow. Today, 11 November is Remembrance Day . A widespread custom in Germany is to light bonfires , called Martinsfeuer , on St. Martin's Eve. In recent years, the processions that accompany those fires have been spread over almost a fortnight before Martinmas ( Martinstag ). At one time, the Rhine River valley would be lined with fires on the eve of Martinmas. In the Rhineland , St. Martin's Day

830-483: A local light alcoholic beverage called água-pé (literally "foot water", made by adding water to the pomace left after the juice is pressed out of the grapes for wine – traditionally by stomping on them in vats with bare feet, and letting it ferment for several days), or the stronger jeropiga (a sweet liquor obtained in a very similar fashion, with aguardente added to the water). Água-pé , though no longer available for sale in supermarkets and similar outlets (it

913-756: A new liturgical year . In the Ambrosian Rite and the Mozarabic Rite of the Catholic Church, Advent begins on the sixth Sunday before Christmas, the Sunday after St. Martin's Day (11 November). For Western Christians of the Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican traditions, Advent signifies preparation for a threefold coming of Christ: firstly in the Incarnation at Bethlehem , then in a perpetual sacramental presence in

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996-631: A reign of justice and peace. Alternatively, they symbolise the four stages of human history; creation, the Incarnation, the redemption of sins, and the Last Judgment . In Orthodox churches there are sometimes wreaths with six candles, in line with the six-week duration of the Nativity Fast/Advent. In Sweden, white candles, symbol of festivity and purity, are used in celebrating Saint Lucy's Day , 13 December, which always falls within Advent. In

1079-466: A time of animal sacrifice , as the Old English name for November was Blōtmōnaþ ('sacrifice month'). Goose is eaten at Martinmas in most places. There is a legend that St Martin, when trying to avoid being ordained bishop, hid in a pen of geese whose cackling gave him away. Once a key medieval autumn feast, a custom of eating goose on the day spread to Sweden from France. It was primarily observed by

1162-510: A traditional menu with goose and Glühwein (a mulled red wine). St Paul, Minnesota celebrates with a traditional lantern procession around Rice Park . The evening includes German treats and traditions that highlight the season of giving. In Dayton, Ohio the Dayton Liederkranz-Turner organization hosts a St Martin's Family Celebration on the weekend before with an evening lantern parade to the singing of St Martin's carols, followed by

1245-430: A week from the day after Saint Martin's Day (11 November). In the 6th century, local councils enjoined fasting on all days except Saturdays and Sundays from Saint Martin's Day to Epiphany (the feast of baptism), a period of 56 days, but of 40 days fasting, like the fast of Lent. It was therefore called Quadragesima Sancti Martini (Saint Martin's Lent). This period of fasting was later shortened and called "Advent" by

1328-572: Is Martinshörnchen , a pastry shaped in the form of a croissant , which recalls both the hooves of St. Martin's horse and, by being the half of a pretzel , the parting of his mantle. In some areas, these pastries are instead shaped like men ( Stutenkerl or Weckmänner). St. Martin's Day is also celebrated in German Lorraine and Alsace , which border the Rhineland and are now part of France. Children receive gifts and sweets. In Alsace, in particular

1411-514: Is St. Martin's Day, we'll eat chestnuts, we'll taste the wine.) St Martin's Day is widely celebrated in Galicia . It is the traditional day for slaughtering fattened pigs for the winter. This tradition has given way to the popular saying " A cada cerdo le llega su San Martín from Galician A cada porquiño chégalle o seu San Martiño ("Every pig gets its St Martin"). The phrase is used to indicate that wrongdoers eventually get their comeuppance. In Moaña

1494-571: Is a hopeful season of preparation that anticipates both Bethlehem and the consummation of history in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This colour is often called "Sarum blue", referring to its purported use at Salisbury Cathedral. Many of the ornaments and ceremonial practices associated with the Sarum rite were revived in the Anglican Communion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as part of

1577-443: Is also an ancient symbol signifying several things; first of all, the crown symbolises victory, in addition to its round form evoking the sun and its return each year. The number four represents the four Sundays of Advent, and the green twigs are a sign of life and hope. The fir tree is a symbol of strength and laurel a symbol of victory over sin and suffering. The latter two, with the holly, do not lose their leaves, and thus represent

1660-466: Is also quite popular because of the usual good weather period that occurs in Portugal in this time of year, called Verão de São Martinho (St. Martin's Summer). It is frequently tied to the legend since Portuguese versions of St. Martin's legend usually replace the snowstorm with rain (because snow is not frequent in most parts of Portugal, while rain is common at that time of the year) and have Jesus bringing

1743-411: Is celebrated in the village of Baħrija on the outskirts of Rabat , including a procession led by the statue of Saint Martin. There is also a fair, and a show for local animals. Cooking chestnuts on the open fire was one of the main attractions. San Anton School , a private school on the island, organises a walk to and from a cave especially associated with Martin in remembrance of the day. This period

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1826-410: Is celebrated mainly in the city of Poznań where its citizens buy and eat considerable amounts of croissants filled with almond paste with white poppy seeds, the rogal świętomarciński or St. Martin's Croissants. Legend has it that this centuries-old tradition commemorates a Poznań baker's dream which had the saint entering the city on a white horse that lost its golden horseshoe. The next morning,

1909-498: Is lit and Martin's pretzels are distributed. In the Rhineland, the children also go from house to house with their lanterns, sing songs and get candy in return. The origin of the procession of lanterns is unclear. To some, it is a substitute for the Martinmas bonfire, which is still lit in a few cities and villages throughout Europe. It formerly symbolized the light that holiness brings to the darkness, just as St Martin brought hope to

1992-596: Is officially banned for sale in Portugal), is still generally available in small local shops from domestic production. Leite de Vasconcelos regarded the magusto as the vestige of an ancient sacrifice to honor the dead and stated that it was tradition in Barqueiros to prepare, at midnight, a table with chestnuts for the deceased family members to eat. A typical Portuguese saying related to Saint Martin's Day: É dia de São Martinho; comem-se castanhas, prova-se o vinho. (It

2075-577: Is often the preparation for the Second Coming and the Last Judgement . While the Sunday readings relate to the first coming of Jesus Christ as saviour as well as to his Second Coming as judge, traditions vary in the relative importance of penitence and expectation during the weeks in Advent. Since approximately the 13th century, the usual liturgical colour in Western Christianity for Advent has been violet; Pope Innocent III declared black to be

2158-493: Is referenced as a sign of joy ( Gaudete ) lit on the third Sunday of Advent. While the traditional colour for Advent is violet, there is a growing interest in and acceptance, by some Christian denominations of blue as an alternative liturgical colour for Advent, a custom traced to the usage of the Church of Sweden (Lutheran) and the Mozarabic Rite , which dates from the 8th century. The Lutheran Book of Worship lists blue as

2241-462: Is to be avoided as St. Martin rides a white horse across Wexford Bay bringing death by drowning to any who see him. In Welsh mythology the day is associated with the Cŵn Annwn , the spectral hounds who escort souls to the otherworld ( Annwn ). St Martin's Day was one of the few nights the hounds would engage in a Wild Hunt , stalking the land for criminals and villains. The supernatural character of

2324-497: Is tradition to have a roast goose dinner. The custom is particularly popular in Scania in southern Sweden, where goose farming has long been practised, but it has gradually spread northwards. A proper goose dinner also includes svartsoppa (a heavily spiced soup made from geese blood) and apple charlotte . In Croatia , St. Martin's Day ( Martinje , Martinovanje ) marks the day when the must traditionally turns to wine . The must

2407-404: Is traditionally celebrated with a feast of goose. The nights before and on the eve itself, children walk in processions called Laternelaufen , carrying lanterns, which they made in school, and sing St. Martin's songs. Usually, the walk starts at a church and goes to a public square. A man on horseback representing St. Martin accompanies the children. When they reach the square, Martin's bonfire

2490-416: Is usually considered impure and sinful, until it is baptised and turned into wine. The baptism is performed by someone who dresses up as a bishop and blesses the wine; this is usually done by the host. Another person is chosen as the godfather of the wine. A Czech proverb connected with the Feast of St. Martin – Martin přijíždí na bílém koni (transl. "Martin is coming on a white horse") – signifies that

2573-601: The Haut-Rhin mountainous region, families with young children make lanterns out of painted paper that they carry in a colourful procession up the mountain at night. Some schools organize these events, in particular schools of the Rudolf Steiner ( Waldorf education ) pedagogy. In the United States, St. Martin's Day celebrations are uncommon, but are typically held by German American communities. Many German restaurants feature

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2656-570: The Kingdom of Sicily ) as common in at least late English folklore. The day is celebrated in a special way in a village near Messina and at a monastery dedicated to Saint Martin overlooking Palermo beyond Monreale. Other places in Sicily mark the day by eating fava beans . Pieter Bruegel the Elder 's physically largest painting is The Wine of Saint Martin's Day , which depicts the saint giving charity. There

2739-531: The Rhineland , processions are led by a man on horseback representing St Martin, who may give out apples, nuts, cakes or other sweets for children. Historically, in Ypres , children hung up stockings filled with hay on Martinmas Eve, and awoke the next morning to find gifts in them. These were said to have been left by St Martin as thanks for the fodder provided for his horse. In the Swabia and Ansbach regions of Germany,

2822-623: The Roman Rite of the Catholic Church , the readings of Mass on the Sundays of Advent have distinct themes: A variety of practices derived from the Roman rite are observed in various protestant churches which retain similar liturgical practices. Other variations of the themes celebrated on each of the four Sundays include: [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from a publication now in

2905-521: The Rorate Mass (but not on Sundays), white is used. During the Nativity Fast, red is used by Eastern Christianity, although gold is an alternative colour. Many churches hold special musical events, such as Nine Lessons and Carols and singing of Handel's Messiah oratorio. The Advent Prose , an antiphonal plainsong , may be sung. The "Late Advent Weekdays", 17–24 December, mark the singing of

2988-549: The St. Martin's Day on 11 November until Christmas, one fasts three times per week; this is why Advent was sometimes also named "Lent of St. Martin". This practice remained limited to the diocese of Tours until the sixth century. The Council of Macon held in 581 adopted the practice in Tours. Soon all France observed three days of fasting a week from the feast of Saint Martin until Christmas. The most devout worshipers in some countries exceeded

3071-542: The fourth Sunday before Christmas, often referred to as Advent Sunday. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity . The name comes from Latin adventus ('coming; arrival'), translating the Greek parousia from the New Testament , originally referring to the Second Coming . The season of Advent in the Christian calendar anticipates the "coming of Christ" from three different perspectives:

3154-445: The public domain :  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). " Advent ". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company. St. Martin%27s Day#Eve of St Martin's Lent Martin of Tours (died 397) was a Roman soldier who was baptized as an adult and became a bishop in Gaul . He is best known for the legend whereby he cut his cloak in half with his sword to give half to

3237-500: The 15th century and " O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf " , published in 1622. Johann Sebastian Bach composed several cantatas for Advent in Weimar, from Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland , BWV 61, to Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben , BWV 147a, but only one more in Leipzig where he worked for the longest time, because there Advent was a silent time which allowed cantata music only on

3320-405: The Advent wreath originated among German Lutherans in the 16th century. However, it was not until three centuries later that the modern Advent wreath took shape. The modern Advent wreath, with its candles representing the Sundays of Advent, originated from an 1839 initiative by Johann Hinrich Wichern , a Protestant pastor in Germany and a pioneer in urban mission work among the poor. To deal with

3403-592: The Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement in the Church of England. While Anglican liturgist Percy Dearmer does not object to the use of blue during Advent, he did not attribute its use to Sarum. "[T]he so-called Sarum uses are really one-half made up from the fancy of nineteenth-century ritualists." While the Sarum use was influential, different dioceses, including Salisbury, used a variety of coloured vestments. "In

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3486-525: The Church. In the Anglican and Lutheran churches this fasting rule was later relaxed. The Roman Catholic Church later abolished the precept of fasting during Advent (at an unknown date at the latest in 1917 ), later, but kept Advent as a season of penitence . In addition to fasting, dancing and similar festivities were forbidden in these traditions. On Rose Sunday , relaxation of the fast was permitted. Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches still hold

3569-571: The Eucharist , and thirdly at his Second Coming and final judgement . Furthermore, Advent is a time to focus on his present coming to mankind in the Word and Sacraments. It is not known when the period of preparation for Christmas that is now called Advent began, though it was certainly in existence from about 480; the novelty introduced by the Council of Tours of 567 was to order monks to fast every day in

3652-669: The Great Advent ' O antiphons '. These are the daily antiphons for the Magnificat at Vespers , Evensong , or Evening Prayer , in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, and mark the forthcoming birth of the Messiah. They form the basis for each verse of the popular Advent hymn " O come, O come, Emmanuel ". German songs for Advent include " Es kommt ein Schiff, geladen " from

3735-463: The Messiah; the first is the symbol of the forgiveness granted to Adam and Eve, the second is the symbol of the faith of Abraham and of the patriarchs who believe in the gift of the Promised Land , the third is the symbol of the joy of David whose lineage does not stop and also testifies to his covenant with God, and the fourth and last candle is the symbol of the teaching of the prophets who announce

3818-537: The San Martiño Festival starts early in the morning on 9 November and extends over four days. In Sicily, November is the winemaking season. On the day Sicilians eat anise, hard biscuits dipped into Moscato, Malvasia or Passito. l'Estate di San Martino (Saint Martin's Summer) is the traditional reference to a period of unseasonably warm weather in early to mid November, possibly shared with the Normans (who founded

3901-597: The Sarum Rite the Advent colour was red, but it could very well have been the red-purple known as murray ..." The Roman Catholic Church retains the traditional violet. Blue is not generally used in Latin Catholicism, and where it does regionally, it has nothing to do with Advent specifically, but with veneration of the Blessed Virgin . However, on some occasions that are heavily associated with Advent, such as

3984-407: The St. Martin's wines at 11:11 a.m. Many restaurants offer special menus for the day, featuring the traditional roast goose. Many people bake special St. Martin rolls in a shape of a horseshoe filled with nuts or poppy seeds (Svatomartinské rohlíčky). Children walk in processions carrying lanterns. In Poland, 11 November is National Independence Day . St. Martin's Day ( Dzień Świętego Marcina )

4067-473: The Three Wise Men for the stopping of the star over Bethlehem) on January 6 (56 days). An addition to and an equivalent to the 40 days fasting of Lent , given its weekend breaks, this was called Quadragesima Sancti Martini (Saint Martin's Lent, or literally "the fortieth of"). This is rarely observed now. This period was shortened to begin on the Sunday before December and became the current Advent within

4150-489: The baker whipped up horseshoe-shaped croissants filled with almonds, white poppy seeds and nuts, and gave them to the poor. In recent years, competition amongst local patisseries has become fierce. The product is registered under the European Union Protected Designation of Origin and only a limited number of bakers hold an official certificate. Poznanians celebrate the festival with concerts, parades and

4233-486: The craftsmen and noblemen of the towns. In the peasant community, not everyone could afford this, so many ate duck or hen instead. In winegrowing regions of Europe, the first wine was ready around the time of Martinmas. Although there was no mention of a link between St Martin and winegrowing by Gregory of Tours or other early hagiographers, St Martin is widely credited in France with helping to spread winemaking throughout

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4316-497: The day in Welsh culture is evident in the number omens associated with it. Marie Trevelyan recorded that if the hooting of an owl was heard on St Martin's Day it was seen as a bad omen for that district. If a meteor was seen, then there would be trouble for the whole nation. Mārtiņi (Martin's) is traditionally celebrated by Latvians on 10 November, marking the end of the preparations for winter, such as salting meat and fish, storing

4399-427: The end of it, thus making the "summer" a gift from God. St. Martin's Day ( Dia de São Martinho ) is commonly associated with the celebration of the maturation of the year's wine, being traditionally the first day when the new wine can be tasted. It is celebrated, traditionally around a bonfire , eating the magusto , chestnuts roasted under the embers of the bonfire (sometimes dry figs and walnuts ), and drinking

4482-513: The eternity of God. The flames of candles are the representation of the Christmas light approaching and bringing hope and peace, as well as the symbol of the struggle against darkness. For Christians, this crown is also the symbol of Christ the King , the holly recalling the crown of thorns resting on the head of Christ. The Advent wreath is adorned with candles, usually three violet or purple and one pink;

4565-644: The eve of St. Martin's Day ( Lá Fhéile Mártain in Irish ), it was tradition to sacrifice a cockerel by bleeding it. The blood was collected and sprinkled on the four corners of the house. Also in Ireland, no wheel of any kind was to turn on St. Martin's Day, because Martin was said by some people to have been thrown into a mill stream and killed by the wheel and so it was not right to turn any kind of wheel on that day. A local legend in County Wexford says that putting to sea

4648-483: The evening of 10 November, mainly in West Flanders and around Ypres . Children go through the streets with paper lanterns and candles, and sing songs about St Martin. Sometimes, a man dressed as St Martin rides on a horse in front of the procession. In Wervik , children go from door to door, singing traditional "Séngmarténg" songs, sporting a hollow beetroot with a carved face and a candle inside called "Bolle Séngmarténg"; they gather at an evening bonfire. Martinmas

4731-458: The feast, known by the Maltese as Il-Borża ta' San Martin , "St. Martin's bag". This bag may include walnuts , hazelnuts , almonds , chestnuts , dried or processed figs , seasonal fruit (like oranges , tangerines , apples and pomegranates ) and " Saint Martin's bread roll " (Maltese: Ħobża ta' San Martin ). In old days, nuts were used by the children in their games. There is a traditional rhyme associated with this custom: A feast

4814-549: The fifteenth century, these bonfires were so numerous that the festival was nicknamed Funkentag (spark day). In the nineteenth century it was recorded that young people danced around the fire and leapt through the flames, and that the ashes were strewn on the fields to make them fertile. In some German and Dutch-speaking towns, there are nighttime processions of children carrying paper lanterns or turnip lanterns and singing songs of St Martin. These processions are known in German as Laternelaufen . In parts of Flanders and

4897-434: The first day of Advent often heralds the start of the Christmas season , with many people opting to erect their Christmas trees and Christmas decorations on or immediately before Advent Sunday. Since 2011, an Advent labyrinth consisting of 2,500 tealights has been formed for the third Saturday of Advent in Frankfurt-Bornheim . The keeping of an Advent wreath is a common practice in homes or churches. The concept of

4980-408: The first half of November in the Czech Republic is the time when it often starts to snow. St. Martin's Day is the traditional feast day in the run-up to Advent. Restaurants often serve roast goose as well as young wine from the recent harvest known as Svatomartinské víno, which is similar to Beaujolais nouveau as the first wine of the season. Wine shops and restaurants around Prague pour the first of

5063-439: The first of the four Sundays. During Advent, the Gloria of the Mass is omitted, so that the return of the angels' song at Christmas has an effect of novelty. Mass compositions written especially for Lent, such as Michael Haydn's Missa tempore Quadragesimae , in D minor for choir and organ, have no Gloria and so are appropriate for use in Advent. Bishop Perpetuus of Tours, who died in 490, ordered fasting three days

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5146-410: The fourth Sunday before Christmas (always falling between 27 November and 3 December), and ends on Christmas Eve on 24 December. In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church , Advent begins with First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of the Sunday that falls on or closest to 30 November and it ends before First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of Christmas. The first day of Advent also begins

5229-404: The harvest and making preserves. It is a day when the lines between the spirit world and the world of the living begin to blur. Mārtiņi also marks the beginning of masquerading and sledding, among other winter activities. St. Martin's Day ( Jum San Martin in Maltese ) is celebrated in Malta on the Sunday nearest to 11 November. Children are given a bag full of fruits and sweets associated with

5312-440: The impatience of the children awaiting Christmas, whom he was teaching, Wichern made a ring of wood, with 19 small red tapers and four large white candles. Every morning a small candle was lit, and every Sunday a large candle. Modern practice only retains the large candles. The wreath crown is traditionally made of fir tree branches knotted with a red ribbon and decorated with pine cones, holly, laurel, and sometimes mistletoe. It

5395-415: The latest. In Normandy , farmers employed children under twelve to run through the fields and orchards armed with torches, setting fire to bundles of straw, and thus, it was believed, driving out such vermin as were likely to damage the crops. In Italy, among other Advent celebrations, is the entry into Rome in the last days of Advent of the Calabrian pifferari , or bagpipe players, who play before

5478-410: The liturgical season of Advent, but without the observance of a fast. Under Charlemagne in the ninth century, writings claim that the fast was still widely observed. In the 13th century, the fast of Advent was not commonly practised although, according to Durand of Mende, fasting was still generally observed. As quoted in the bull of canonisation of St. Louis, the zeal with which he observed this fast

5561-446: The month of December until Christmas. According to J. Neil Alexander , it is "impossible to claim with confidence a credible explanation of the origin of Advent". Associated with Advent as a time of penitence was a period of fasting , known also as St Martin's Lent or the Nativity Fast . According to Saint Gregory of Tours the celebration of Advent began in the fifth century when the Bishop Perpetuus directed that starting with

5644-418: The night of 11 November, children walk in processions carrying lanterns, which they made in school, and sing Martin songs. Martinloben is celebrated as a collective festival. It marks the end of the wine-growers’ year. Events include art exhibitions, wine tastings, and live music. Martinigansl (roasted goose) is the traditional dish of the season. As Saint Martin of Tours is patron saint of Burgenland ,

5727-412: The past, poor people would visit farms on 11 November to get food for the winter. In the 1600s, the city of Amsterdam held boat races on the IJ , where 400 to 500 light craft, both rowing boats and sailboats, took part with a vast crowd on the banks. St Martin is the patron saint of the cities of Utrecht and Groningen . In Flanders , the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, St Martin's Eve is celebrated on

5810-414: The physical nativity in Bethlehem , the reception of Christ in the heart of the believer, and the eschatological Second Coming. Practices associated with Advent include Advent calendars , lighting an Advent wreath , praying an Advent daily devotional , erecting a Chrismon tree , lighting a Christingle , as well as other ways of preparing for Christmas, such as setting up Christmas decorations ,

5893-409: The pink candle is lit on the Third Sunday of Advent, called " Gaudete Sunday " after the opening word, Gaudete , meaning 'Rejoice', of the entrance antiphon at Mass . Some add a fifth candle (white), known as the "Christ candle", in the middle of the wreath, to be lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The candles symbolise, in one interpretation, the great stages of salvation before the coming of

5976-402: The poor through his good deeds. Even though the bonfire tradition is gradually being lost, the procession of lanterns is still practiced. A Martinsgans ("St. Martin's goose") is typically served on St. Martin's Eve following the procession of lanterns. "Martinsgans" is usually served in restaurants, roasted, with red cabbage and dumplings. The traditional sweet of Martinmas in the Rhineland

6059-616: The preferred colour for Advent, while the Methodist Book of Worship and the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship identify purple or blue as appropriate for Advent. Proponents of this new liturgical trend argue that purple is traditionally associated with solemnity and somberness, which is fitting to the repentant character of Lent . There has been an increasing trend in Protestant churches to supplant purple with blue during Advent as it

6142-492: The proper colour for Advent, though Durandus of Saint-Pourçain claims violet has preference over black. The violet or purple colour is often used for antependia , the vestments of the clergy, and often also the tabernacle . On the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday , rose may be used instead, referencing the rose used on Laetare Sunday , the fourth Sunday of Lent. A rose-coloured candle in Western Christianity

6225-464: The region of Tours ( Touraine ) and facilitating vine-planting. The old Greek tale that Aristaeus discovered the advantage of pruning vines after watching a goat, has been appropriated to St Martin. He is credited with introducing the Chenin blanc grape, from which most of the white wine of western Touraine and Anjou is made. Bonfires are lit on St Martin's Eve in the Rhineland region of Germany. In

6308-568: The requirements adopted by the council, and fasted every day of Advent. The first clear references in the Western Church to Advent occur in the Gelasian Sacramentary , which provides Advent Collects, Epistles, and Gospels for the five Sundays preceding Christmas and for the corresponding Wednesdays and Fridays. The homilies of Gregory the Great in the late sixth century showed four weeks to

6391-582: The shrines of Mary, the mother of Jesus: in Italian tradition, the shepherds played these pipes when they came to the manger at Bethlehem to pay homage to the infant Jesus. In recent times, the most common observance of Advent outside church circles has been the keeping of an Advent calendar or Advent candle , with one door being opened in the calendar, or one section of the candle being burned, on each day in December leading up to Christmas Eve. In many countries,

6474-497: The tradition of fasting for 40 days before Christmas. In England, especially in the northern counties, there was a custom (now extinct) for poor women to carry around the "Advent images", two dolls dressed to represent Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. A halfpenny coin was expected from every one to whom these were exhibited and bad luck was thought to menace the household not visited by the doll-bearers before Christmas Eve at

6557-576: Was a time for saying farewell to travelling ploughmen, who shared in the feast along with the harvest-workers. According to Walsh, Martinmas eventually died out in England as a result of the English Reformation , the emergence of Guy Fawkes Night (5 November), as well as changes in farming and the Industrial Revolution . According to folklore, if the weather is warm on St Martin's Day, then

6640-498: Was an optional fast that some begin on 15 November, while others begin on 6 December or only a few days before Christmas. The liturgy of Advent remained unchanged until the Second Vatican Council introduced minor changes, differentiating the spirit of Lent from that of Advent, emphasising Advent as a season of hope for Christ's coming now as a promise of his Second Coming. The theme of readings and teachings during Advent

6723-567: Was no longer a custom observed by Christians of great piety. It was then limited to the period from the feast of Saint Andrew until Christmas Day, since the solemnity of this apostle was more universal than that of St. Martin. When Pope Urban V ascended the papal seat in 1362, he imposed abstinence on the papal court but there was no mention of fasting. It was then customary in Rome to observe five weeks of Advent before Christmas. The Ambrosian Rite has six. The Greeks show no more real consistency: Advent

6806-557: Was reckoned as the beginning of winter, while among the Insular Celtic peoples , it was marked by the 1 November festival of Samhain / Calan Gaeaf . Traditionally, in many parts of Europe, St Martin's Day marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. The feast coincides with the end of the Octave of Allhallowtide . Martinmas was traditionally when livestock were slaughtered for winter provision. It may originally have been

6889-535: Was widely celebrated on 11 November in medieval and early modern England . In his study "Medieval English Martinmesse: The Archaeology of a Forgotten Festival", Martin Walsh describes Martinmas as a festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. He suggests it had pre-Christian roots. Martinmas ushered in the "winter revelling season" and involved feasting on the meat of livestock that had been slaughtered for winter provision (especially 'Martlemas beef'), drinking, storytelling, and mumming . It

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