Advent (from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming“) is a season observed in many Western Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. (Wikipedia)
Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent (this I know from the ceremonial candle lighting), while tomorrow brings us to the 1st of December. The Coca-Cola van is in town and holidays are indeed coming. The run up to Christmas brings out both the best and the worst in people. while people are more inclined towards charitable acts, the pressure of Christmas shopping can turn the most upstanding of citizens into an insufferable arsehole (people who work in retail know this better than anyone).
We go through our yearly rituals: bring the tree out of the cubbyhole, realize the tree is broken, stick it together with masking tape, spend an afternoon untangling the fairy lights only to discover that they don’t work, remind the person who packed them away that this is in fact all their fault. Then there are the lists: decoration lists, food lists, present lists (who produced more sprogs during the year that need a gift?) and of course the Christmas card list. We remind ourselves of those who neglected to send us a card last year (no point wasting stamp money on those miserable fecks!).
By the time Christmas Day itself arrives many people are left feeling burnt out, glad the madness is finally over (but ready to begin next years shopping once the January sales begin). It seems that the essence of Advent has been lost over the years and for that reason, I have decided to record my experience of Advent this year whilst trying to rediscover what this period of expectant waiting is really about.
laurenshannon 