Advent Greetings!

Advent is here! There is now less than a month to go until that most wonderful holiday of the year. “Christmas” goes by many names in the Filianic community – Adoria (‘adore’ ‘adoration’), Filiadi (or the English version, Daughter’s Day), Nativity, and occasionally Yule.

Advent is possibly my favourite time of the year. The anticipation leading up to Filiadi makes every single day so much sweeter. From the close of Tamala a month before, I am constantly looking forward to Advent. Decorations start going up, the shops and houses look warmer and cozier, and I can’t wait for my family to open their presents! This year, as the threat of shipping difficulties loomed, I already bought presents and tucked them away before Tamala even arrived, so some things seem a bit out of place to me, haha, but so much the better not to have the anxiety of wondering whether something will arrive in the mail!

Last year being Sai Rhavë’s year, Advent candles were lit on Saturdays. This year is ruled by Sai Raya so our week begins on Sundays this year; Advent candles are lit on Sundays from November 28 to December 19. We also take on some small personal disciplines: giving up sweets, alcohol, and meat are commonplace ‘starters’ that everyone abstains from to which one adds one or two personal vices to give up for the duration of Advent. These can be physical things: less screen time or giving up chips, for example; but they can also be intangible things like bad habits. Along with abstaining from vices, we add new disciplines such as saying Novenas or daily Rosaries specially for Advent, and work on better habits if we so choose.

Advent readings and meditations for the season are many and varied! I put together some readings last year for each week of Advent, which you may find HERE. There is also an Advent Novena HERE, Rosary Meditations for Nativity HERE, as well as many different posts on Scripture meditations, candle meanings, and ways to mark Advent HERE.