Advent Is Not Just a Countdown to Christmas

Today, most Catholics see Advent as simply a countdown to Christmas. When pressed, most Catholics can explain that Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of Christ. After all, the word Advent comes from, “ad-venire” in Latin or “to come to.” Many Catholics either never knew or have forgotten that Advent is also a penitential season. This is the reason the color purple (violet) is used during Advent. Ignorance of this point is very understandable. There are very few reminders of the penitential aspect of Advent, and I don’t recall ever being taught so in 12 years of Catholic school. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website, “Advent also includes an element of penance in the sense of preparing, quieting, and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas.”

Advent is not part of the Christmas Season

One challenge is that many do not see Advent as its own season, but part of Christmas preparation. We all have neighbors who put up Christmas lights and decorations as soon as the Halloween decorations come down. Forget All Saints Day and All Souls Day, let alone the secular, but noble Holiday of Thanksgiving. At least in North America, the culture thinks the Christmas season starts the day after Thanksgiving. However, the Church does us a great benefit by carving out Liturgical Seasons. One unique element of the Catholic Faith that receives little attention is the richness of our six Liturgical Seasons.

Of the six Liturgical Seasons, all Catholics should be familiar with Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. Sacred Paschal Triduum, the holiest “Three Days” of the Church’s year should resonate even if the name is not familiar. The sixth Liturgical Season is “Ordinary Time,” which is divided into two sections after Christmas Time and another after Easter Time. “Ordinary” does not mean plain, but rather according to Ascension Press comes from “the Latin word ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series. These Liturgical Seasons give our trip around the sun deeper meaning than the changing colors of the trees, while challenging us along the way to strengthen our relationship with God.

It is a rich and beautiful blessing it is to celebrate Christmas for 18 days this year from Christmas day until the Baptism of the Lord on January 11, 2026. It’s one less day than last year, but still plenty of time to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord. Therefore, do not neglect to participate in Advent in a unique way, anticipating but different from the Christmas season. The Liturgical Calendar year begins on the First Sunday of advent each year. That is essentially New Year’s Day for the Church. This is a great time to think of starting-over and making new commitments in your spiritual and faith life as we prepare for the coming of the Lord.

A History of Penance, Fasting, and Abstinence

Guidelines for Advent fasting were clearly laid-out in the 1880s by the Baltimore Manual of Prayer. However, the obligation to fast during Advent was removed in 1917 according to the Liturgical Arts Journal. It adds that “the 1909 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia states that Great Britain, Ireland, Australia and Canada fasted on the Wednesdays of Advent as well.” There was a also the fasting tradition called “Advent Embertide,” which corresponds to the tradition of Ember Days which noted changing of the seasons and consisted of 3 days set apart for fasting and prayer. Ember Days are no longer on the universal Church calendar since the 1960s when it was left up to each congregation of Bishops.

Although no longer required, fasting and penance in Advent is still encouraged if you listen hard enough. On the first Sunday in Advent 1998, Saint John Paul II released a bull which included “Through vigils, fasting and prayer, the pilgrim progresses along the path of Christian perfection.” Recently there have been a growing chorus of Cardinals, Bishops, Lay and ordained leaders encouraging voluntary fasting or abstinence and penance in Advent. When the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops removed the mandate in 1966, they included, “We impose no fast before any feast day, but we suggest that the devout will find greater Christian joy in the feasts of the liturgical calendar if they freely bind themselves, for their own motives and in their own spirit of piety, to prepare for each Church festival by a day of particular self-denial, penitential prayer, and fasting.” While fasting may not be common any longer during Advent, abstinence is part of the penitential process. Divineofice.org explains why Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent, when vestments and candles change from Purple to Pink, “breaks through a season that is otherwise penitential to signify the nearness of the Lord’s coming.”

Many parishes offer special penance services and additional confession times during Advent. Confession should happen before Mass any way if one is aware of Mortal sin. However, with so many cultural Catholics returning to Mass on Christmas who have not seen a church since Easter; more opportunity for confession in welcome. At Mass we proclaim that we are not worthy to receive the Lord and ask to be healed before we receive Jesus. It is just as fitting that we seek healing prior to welcoming Jesus at Christmas.

Penance Frees us for Joy

The idea of Advent as a penitential season does not take away from the joy and anticipation of the Nativity. Engaging in penance prior to a feast can lead to greater joy than without. It is fitting and proper that we clean ourselves up on the inside before such an important Holy day celebration. Building off of this penitential cleansing and anticipation is a call for renewal. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in 2005 that “Advent is the season in which Christians must rekindle in their hearts the hope that they will be able with God’s help to renew the world.” Pope Francis added in 2022 that “Advent, then is a time for overturning our perspectives, for letting ourselves be surprised by God’s mercy.” Thus, we see that penance, mercy, anticipation, and renewal are all part of the Advent journey. The Church gives us plenty of freedom to emphasize some elements more than others in our personal spiritual lives but unifies us in liturgy and the Divine Office. Put up your decorations and prepare for Christmas, remember that the Christmas season lasts for 18 days this year in the West. Don’t forget to enjoy Advent for what it is and receive the Grace it brings.