Advent by culture

Intermountain Catholic

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SALT LAKE CITY – Advent, the beginning of the Church year, begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve.

When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating John the Baptist’s birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (Catechism, No. 524;).

Different communities around the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City celebrate Advent in their own traditional ways.

The Anglo community celebrates the season with the Advent wreath, especially because it’s a home-based tradition that everyone can see practiced in church as well.

"The Advent calendar is also very easy to incorporate," said Joshua Whitter, who recently moved to Utah from Colorado with his family; they attend Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

"The Jesse Tree is a bit more elaborate and labor intensive, but is a wonderful way to teach salvation history," added Josephine Whitter, Joshua’s wife.

Other traditions include baking of bread for Christmas, making a Jesse Tree, and hanging of the greens.

Some of the symbols used for Advent are the use of violet, pink, and white candles, an empty throne, a rising sun, the prophecy scroll, dew falling from heaven and the use of the color violet (purple) for vestments.

In Utah’s Hispanic/Latino Catholic community, music of reflection and hope plays a large part during Advent.

Different communities among the Hispanos/Latinos have their own Advent traditions. For example, Colombians, among other traditions, play a game called "aguinaldos," during which they light the streets with candles.

The Mexican community cooks special dishes such as tamales and breads.

The Vietnamese community focuses on spirituality during Advent. "Each Sunday we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation; they start preparation and confessions at the church the weekend prior to the celebration," said Father Dominic Thuy Dang Ha, pastor of Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Catholic Church.

The African Catholic community in Utah for Advent uses songs in Arabic, Swahili and sometimes in English and they alternate the lectures between the languages.

For the Polish community, the primary saint of the season is Nicholas of Myra (modern Demre, Turkey), whose feast day is Dec. 6. Among their favorite holiday foods are old-fashioned puddings, which are made in advance with sweet soft fruit such as raisins, currants, citrus peels, figs, pomegranates, and prunes, plus brandy, and then jarred and chilled to age several days to a week, so that the flavors meld. Mince pies are made of a dried fruit mix, and sometimes finely chopped lamb or venison.

A Gaelic custom is to bake cakes during the last week of Advent, store them, then take them out just before Christmas to spread on almond paste and/or sweet goo such as cake frosting or honey. On the days before Christmas, Europeans bake plaited breads in a long oval shape, to look like a well-wrapped Christ child.

No matter what their cultural tradition, Catholics throughout Utah answer the Advent season’s invitation to reflect on the hope offered by Jesus’ coming.