Advent
Advent, Latin for "Coming", is a period of spiritual preparation, generally expressed as a fast every Wednesday and Friday over a period of 4 Sundays preceding Christmas ending on Christmas Eve. Bishop Perpetus of Tours (c490 A.D.) issued a regulation for keeping penitence during the season prior to Christmas, accompanied by fasting over 3 days of every week starting on 11 November to Christmas Day on 25 December. The fast included abstinence from wine, ale, honey-beer meats fats cheese and fat-fish; also from weddings, travel and conjugal relations although today it is seldom so strictly practised.
The liturgical colour displayed in local mainline churches is purple although black is a more traditional colour. The liturgical calendar culminates with a focus on the second coming of Christ during the Advent season.
The 12 Days of Christmas
Although the 12 Days of Christmas is more popularly sung and interpreted as a nonsense carol, it refers to the original period of celebration of the Christmas season stretching between Christmas Eve to Epiphany on 2 January. The carol, The 12 Days of Christmas, was written to help young Catholics learn the faith when Protestant England prohibited Roman Catholicism (between 1558 to 1829).
Symbols of the 12 Items
True Love: Not a worldly suitor but God.
Me: Refers to every baptised person who would invariably receive the gifts.
Partridge: Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Pear Tree: The tree on which Christ was crucified for the sins of the world.
2 Turtle Doves: The Old and New Testament.
3 French Hens: Faith, Hope and Charity or the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
4 Calling Birds: The 4 Gospels or the 4 Evangelist.
5 Gold Rings: The Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Old testament which outlines the history of man's fall from grace or the 5 Catholic Obligatory Sacraments: baptism, communion, confirmation, penance and last rites.
6 Geese: The 6 days of creation.
7 Swans: The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit and the 7 sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church).
8 Milkmids: The 8 beatitudes (Matthew 5: 1-12) or the 8 times annually that Roman Catholics were required to receive Holy Communion in that era.
9 Dancing Ladies: The 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) .
10 Leaping Lords: The 10 Commandments.
11 Piping Pipers: The 11 faithful disciples, with the exclusion of the betrayer Judas.
12 Drummers: The 12 points of the Apostles' Creed.
Christmas Eve
On the eve of Christmas in Singapore, many mark the occasion with a dinner both at home or in the restaurants. Dinners at home are sometimes followed by the opening of presents although others prefer to leave this for Christmas Day itself. Masses and services are held in churches and cathedrals. Often, a pageant depicting the nativity scene with Mary and Joseph bringing the baby Jesus is re-enacted to remember the birth of Christ. The candlelit services usually take place between 11:00 pm to midnight, the time traditionally considered the birth of Christ. Carollers set the Yuletide mood in the busy shopping areas like Orchard Road, thronging with last-minute shoppers.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day falls on 25 December, a public holiday in Singapore. Often the practice of exchanging Christmas gifts occurs on this day. Christians view the gifts as symbolic of the various herbs Jesus received from the Magi -- gold, frankincense, myrrh, and of the Christ Child being God's gift to the world. Again, there would be church services on Christmas Day. Lunch could also be a special Christmas meal which could include stuffed turkey, honey-baked ham or Devil's curry, the later a dish unique to Singaporeans.
Boxing Day
Boxing day falls on the day after Christmas, on 26 December. This is actually the Feast of St Stephen and medieval churches would redistribute monies in the alm boxes to the poor in the community. This evolved into a practise by workers and apprentices to keep collect a savings of coins in boxes made of earthenware, receiving the largest amount at Christmas, after which the box was broken. Boxing Day culminated in the practise of exchanging boxes of present and was accepted as present-giving day for some time.
Epiphany
Epiphany, or in Latin Epiphaneia meaning a "human manifestation of a deity", is a day remembering Christ as God's manifestation on earth. Falling on 6 January, Epiphany probably originated in Egypt in the 3rd century and was at first celebrated as the "Day of the Nativity", the early church's commemoration of Christ's birth, a precursor of a Christian Christmas celebration. In the modern context, churches celebrate Epiphany with pageants of the Adoration of the Magi. This refers to biblical texts noting the visit of Magi from the East offering gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child. The Magi were not kings but are believed to be Zoroastrian priest-scholars from Persia schooled in astronomy with others suggesting they could have come as far as from India or China. They numbered probably more than three with early traditions noting 12 Magi, taking between 6 months to 2 years before arriving at Bethlehem to visit the toddler Jesus.
Symbolism of the Gifts
Gold: The purest material known of that time.
Frankincense: Incense used in the worship of a god .
Myrrh: A balm for healing.
These suggest Christ was worshipped as King, God and Healer.
In Singapore, mainline churches do not actively have separate celebrations for Epiphany although the Armenian church still celebrates Christmas on this day.
Candlemas
Candlemas is the conclusion of the Christmas season. It falls on 2 February, 40 days after Christmas signifying the period in Jewish tradition to purify herself after a mother had given birth. Thus the period is also known as the "Purification of the Blessed Virgin", a reference to Mary the mother of Jesus or the 'Feast of Lights'. According to Mosaic Law, on the 40th day, the first-born son would be presented in the temple and an offering made. In biblical records (Luke 2: 22 - 40), during the presentation, Jesus was prophesied over by Simeon, a devout worshipper and Anna, an elderly prophetess. In the Middle ages, the celebration came to be related to the blessing of candles used in a ceremonial procession. By 1549, Candlemas processions were discontinued today the only indication that the Christmas season is over is that Christmas decorations should all be removed by Candlemas.
Author
Suchitthra Vasu
References
Del Re, P., & Del Re, G. (1979). The Christmas almanack (pp. 10, 39, 52, 56, 104-105). New York: Doubleday.
(Call no. R q394.268282 DEL)
Weiser, X. F. (1958). Christian feast and customs (pp. 49-59, 60-77, 111, 141-154). New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company.
(Call no.: R 394.26 WEI)
The information in this article is valid as at 1999 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
