Reformation Day minus 1

For many years I've wanted to write about Advent, or to keep an Advent journal. Now I'll try.

Advent is a season in the calendar of the Christian church. The church's calendar doesn't consist only of saint's days, although they're a big part of it. It also consists of seasons that cover the whole year, in the same way that summer, fall, winter and spring cover the earth's year. Everyone has heard of at least one of these seasons -- Lent, roughly the six weeks before Easter. Advent is, roughly, the four weeks before Christmas. More specifically, it starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and lasts until Christmas Eve.

Another thing about Advent: It is the first season of the church year. Instead of starting on January 1, the calendar of the Christian church starts on the first day of Advent, which happens to be Dec. 2 this year. But we're not there yet; still five weeks to go.

What's this got to do with Reformation Day, a Lutheran holiday? And what the heck is all this church stuff doing on my site anyway? More later.