Advent, Christmas, Epiphany
and Yule Explained
Valuing the Richness that
Diversity Brings
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Aims of the presentation
• To provide information, advice and
guidance around Advent, Christmas,
Epiphany and Yule for PCT employees.
• Based on the organisations values and
principles of valuing the richness that
diversity brings.
• We believe it is important that employees of
the PCT understand the religious and
cultural traditions of the people we serve
and of those we work with in line with
Employment Equality (Religion and Belief)
Regulations 2003 and the Equality Act
2006.
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What is Advent?
• Advent originates from the Latin
word meaning coming.
• It is the beginning of the
Christian church year and
commences on the nearest
Sunday to St Andrew’s Day.
• Advent commences on Sunday
2nd December in 2007.
• It is a time which enables people
to prepare for Christmas.
• Advent ends with Christmas.
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What Happens During Advent?
• In many Churches during the advent weeks
scriptures are read concentrating on the events
leading up to the birth of Christ.
• Many households have ‘Advent Calendars’ or Advent
candles which are symbols of the counting down to
the festival of Christmas.
• Candles are lit during advent as reminders to
Christians of;
–
–
–
–
–
–
Hope
Jesus being the Light of the World
God’s ‘Peace’
Love
Joy
The birth of Jesus
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What Happens During Advent?
• Christian Clergy & Priests usually
wear purple or blue vestments in
their churches during Advent.
• During Advent churches are not
decorated with flowers, but it is
customary to have an Advent Crown
or Advent Wreath.
• Advent Wreaths are made from
circles of holly and ivy – this
symbolizes God with no beginning or
end. Holly is also a symbol of the
crown of thorns that Jesus wore
during the crucifixion.
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Christmas
• To Christians Christmas is the time
when Jesus was born.
• Christmas services vary between
Christian denomination some have
midnight mass and some hold
communion services late on the
night of Christmas Eve.
• Many have Carol services where
Carols are sung, these are songs
which tell of Christmas and winter
time e.g. O’ Little Town of
Bethlehem, The holly and the ivy
etc.
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Christmas Customs
• Many of the customs
carried out such as
giving of presents,
feasting, Christmas
Trees and the Yule log,
have nothing to do with
Christianity.
• Some such as the Yule
log and the Christmas
Tree are symbols of the
pagan midwinter
festival held in late
December to early
January.
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Symbols Associated with Christmas
•
Presents: comes from the stories of the 3 wise
men (Magi) who gave presents to the infant
Jesus. Presents are a symbol of love and caring.
•
Holly, Mistletoe and Ivy: Evergreen foliage used to
decorate the home, taken from the pagan
midwinter festival welcoming and encouraging the
return of the sun.
•
Decorations: The addition of an angle or star to
the Christmas tree is a Christian symbol.
•
Christmas Cards: started in 1843 by John Horsley,
these are often have a range of designs from
nativity scenes to those of father Christmas.
•
Christmas Pudding: various recipes have been
around since the middle ages, the modern version
was introduced in the Victorian times.
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Boxing Day
• Also known as St Stephen’s Day or
the Feast of St Stephen (mentioned
in the Carol ‘Good King Wenceslas’)
• It is not certain where Boxing Day
came from;
– some believe it is derived from the times
when priests would open the alms boxes
in churches after Christmas.
– Another suggests it began when
employers and wealthy people gave their
employees, servants and trades people
Christmas Boxes as a way of saying
thank you.
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Epiphany
• January 6th coming twelve days after
Christmas.
• Epiphany is derived from the Greek
word meaning to show or reveal,
when Christ was revealed to nonJews.
• This time also celebrates the arrival
of the Magi (Three Wise Men) who
visited Jesus. As the Magi were nonJews, Christians see their visit as a
sign that Christ's message is for all
nations.
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Yule
• It is a winter festival which has been celebrated
in Northern Europe since ancient times. In preChristian times, Germanic Pagans celebrated
Yule in late December or early January on a
date determined by a lunar calendar.
• During the process of Christianization Yule was
placed on December 25, in order to correspond
with the Christian celebrations known as
Christmas.
• Thus, the terms "Yule" and "Christmas" are
often used interchangeably.
• Yule is an important festival for Pagans
including Wiccans and various secular groups
who observe the holiday at the winter solstice
on December 21 or 22 in the Northern
Hemisphere.
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It is hoped that this information will help
colleagues to gain more understanding of
what Advent, Christmas, Epiphany and
Yule means to our Colleagues who are of
the Christian and Pagan faiths.
Jules Wall
Diversity and Equality Manager
Blackburn with Darwen Teaching Primary Care Trust
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