What is Advent? Where does the word come from
‘The arrival of a notable person or thing’ Oxford English Dictionary.
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| Photo by Grant Whitty on Unsplash |
Advent derives from the Latin root, adventus. This approximates as ‘arrival’ through advenire, with ad meaning ‘to’ and venire ‘come’.
When used in general English, advent describes a 'starting point' as in the advent of mobile phones.
The word itself is not biblical - the first reference to it in Christian teaching is in the late sixth century. By around the year 800 CE mid winter festivals were adapted to the Christian calendar. Advent became an umbrella term to describe the immediate period leading up to the celebration of the birth of Christ on Christmas Day.