Poll:Who knows what advent is?

In My Humble Opinion
1

In this thread Cisco states that he’s never heard of Advent, and had to go and research it to find out about it.

I posted in that thread, but it was a hijack to the main thread, and got (rightly) ignored, but I’d like to take a quick poll, because I always thought that advent was pretty much as well known as christmas, so:

  1. Have you heard of advent? either as a religious or secular event

if not:
2) Where do you live?

  1. What is your religious background?
    For those like Cisco who have no idea what I’m on about, I’ll just say that advent is the four weeks leading up to christmas (not necessarily 1-24 of dec, as the calendars have it) and celbrates the coming of Jesus.
2

Yeah, I thought it was slightly strange not to have heard of Advent.

I was raised fundie (in the US), and we didn’t observe Advent like the liturgical churches do, but we did have Advent Calendars - paper cutout things with a little paper door to open every day during December, and a little Christmas-related item behind each door. That’s how I knew what Advent was as a little fundie child. But maybe nobody else has heard of Advent Calendars.

3
  1. Yes.
4

Yes, but I was born on the second Sunday of it. As for Advent calendars, I always looked forward to getting one from my aunt for my birthday. I’ve also had Advent wreaths for years, in part because I couldn’t afford a Christmas tree while I was living in Hawaii.

CJ

5

So, to expand things a little, is anyone even aware of a culture/ethnicity/religion that is not aware of advent - I realise that a lot of non-christian groups might simply ignore it, but… well, I don’t celebrate Ramadan, but I have a fair idea of when it is and what it’s about…

6

I was raised practically heathen, but I knew what Advent was–

Also introduced to the concept as a child through the medium of chocolate – I remember being mightily impressed by a playmate’s Advent calender. It was on the back of his bedroom door, and it was only the fourth day of Advent. Funny the things you remember.

7

I was raised by Sunday School teachers, of course I know what Advent is … I even know people who observe it as a fast, although I don’t myself.

8

I grew up in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. I don’t recall knowing about Advent until my mid-twenties when I became an Anglican.

9

I went to catholic elementary and junior high, so yes, I know advent.

10
  1. Yes - since i’m a (very) lapsed Catholic
11
  1. Yep - I’ve got my Advent wreath together on the table right now. Of course, it’s tough to be a Catholic and not know what it is.
12

  1. Yes, it’s a major tradition in the UK - advent calendars are given to most children (they open a little window every day to reveal a picture, often Biblical; some of them have a candy behind every window). Advent candles are also available - you burn the candle down a little each day.

  2. I’m from the UK.

  3. Atheist (raised Church of England protestant).

13
  1. Yes.
  2. Irish.
  3. Recovering catholic.

Met someone recently who had never heard of lent, and they are studying theology! :eek:

14

Yes. We’re Episcopalian (AKA Catholic Light. All the ritual and half the guilt. :wink: )

15

Oooh! Sounds lovely Arden Ranger! We don’t have that here :frowning:

16

Yes - family from central PA - Catholic.

We do the wreath every year, just lit the pink candle on Sunday. To us it was always religious. If you have small kids, you should consider getting one. They love having something to do before x-mas, and it really builds the anticipation.

I know many people who are unaware of advent, and have met quite a few who have no idea what Lent is…and this was at Mardi Gras.

17
  1. Yes
  2. Ireland
  3. Atheist but raised Catholic

I’ve got a advent calender but it reveals naked women. Blue Peter never showed how to make one of them :wink:

18

Hate to break it to you, Arden and Iteki, but Episcopalean is definitely not Catholic Lite - it’s the American form of Church of England protestantism (i.e. it’s the same branch as Church of Ireland). Cite.

19
  1. Yes, father is an Episcopal priest. For those who don’t know what Advent is, it’s the four Sundays before Christmas, in advance of the birth of Christ; it’s all about the preparations for the birth. I also grew up with advent calendars as a child and really enjoyed opening a different window each day and especially the one for either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, which was usually a Nativity scene.
20

No.

I live in California where I attended church the “First Chinese Baptist Church” until I was 13 years old. I then became an agnostic.