Advent (What is it, Why do we celebrate it?)

Advent is celebrated from the Sunday after Thanksgiving, until Christmas. It is a time of preparation for the coming of the savior. Traditionally, a wreath with 4 (sometimes 5) candles are lit as the weeks progress. The candles are 3 Purple, 1 Pink, and 1 White. Each Sunday an additonal candle is lit, starting with the purple farthest from the pink, and going around the wreath. The 3rd Sunday, the pink candle is lit to symbolize hope, as well as the joy of the expectant arrival of the King of Glory. The White candle is usually placed in the center, and represents Christ. It is not lit until Either Christmas Eve after dark, or on Christmas day. Prayers or readings usually accompany the lighting of the candles, and hymns are sometimes sung as well. The symbolism of the purple (sometimes blue nowadays) is to represent the waiting, expectation, penance for sins, and the royalty of the expected coming King.