The Christmas Cycle by Helen Keeler and Susan Grimbly
The Church year begins with the Christmas cycle, which encompasses the events surrounding Jesus' birth. The Christmas cycle begins with Advent (which starts in late November) and with the baptism of the Lord (third Sunday after Christmas), which celebrates the beginning of Christ's public ministry.
Advent: A Time of Expectation
Advent is a four-week season that anticipates the upcoming birth of Christ; advent literally means “arrival.” Advent is a season of preparation, which begins on the Sunday closest to November 30, the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle. Advent is a season of mixed themes — of both penance and joy. The Advent wreath, with its four candles, symbolizes the end of darkness and the turning toward light in the coming of the Lord.
Christmas: A Birthday Celebration
The word Christmas is derived from the phrase “Mass of Christ” because the Church holds special Masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Catholics celebrate Christmas, or the Nativity of Jesus, on December 25. However, the actual date of Jesus' birthday is not known. One of the explanations for why the Church chose this particular day is that in the early days of the Church, some of the feast days were appropriated from earlier pagan celebrations. In the case of Christmas, this particular date was also chosen because it is also the time of the winter solstice.
Some theologians attribute the formation of the Nativity festival to an attempt by the Catholic Church to foster Catholic belief in the humanity of Jesus Christ and as a way to counter an early heresy called Docetism, which denied Jesus' human nature.
Christmas is followed by Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 6. Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the three wise men who came bearing gifts to honor the Christ Child in the manger. The Christmas cycle ends on the third Sunday after Christmas. A period of ordinary time ensues that lasts until the day after Mardi Gras, the beginning of the Easter Cycle.
