On Lent and Advent

[peaches]

Can someone please explain to me what Lent and Advent is about?

[OneLight]

Both man made ideas, but I'm going to post what is on Wikipedia for a very quick read.

Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming") is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus, in other words, the period immediately preceding Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western Christian year and commences on Advent Sunday. The Eastern Churches begin the liturgical year on 1 September.[1] The Eastern equivalent of Advent is called the Nativity Fast, and differs both in length and observance (see that article for specifics).

The progression of Advent may be marked with an Advent calendar reckoning Advent to start on 1 December, a practice introduced by German Lutherans.

Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used in reference to the Second Coming. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure as they await the second coming of Christ.

Lent in most Christian denominations, is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter.[1] The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where, according to the Bible, he endured temptation by Satan.[2] Different churches will calculate the forty days differently.

The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer

[peaches]

thanks for the links OL

ty conundrum. what u said makes sense.

[EricH]

The only caution I would offer on Wikipedia is that it is a user built encycolpedia. Anyone can update an entry there.

[peaches]

ya i know. but i think the root of my question was in the motives of it. i didnt quite get why it was necessary and why it was so popular esp among those who dont seem to be in close fellowship with Christ.

[Massorite]

Can someone please explain to me what Lent and Advent is about?

Lent is a pagan ritual brought into the church by the Roman church in an effort to appeal to the pagans and their celebrations. Sun worship and celebrations related to sun worship were the most popular before and after Christianity came along so in order to seduce the pagans who refused to completely abandon their ceremonies, the Roman church leaders decided to adopt into the Christian holidays pagan rituals and celebrations by changing their names and reasons for the celebrations and practices linking them with Christian events and personalities and the celebration of Easter is no exception.

Long before the birth of Christ there were people who worshiped the sun and this religion dates back all the way to the tower of Babel. The name of this Sun god was Tammuz who in the Old Testament is known as Baal, Baalim, Bel, Molech and later known in the Roman world as Mithras, he was a man made deity by other men, he was the illegitimate son of Semiramis, who was the wife of Nimrod. For six thousand years she has been referred to as the