3.5 - christian religious celebrations

• advent

  • 4th sunday before christmas to christmas eve
  • wreaths represent eternal life, god's eternality
  • candle represents christ (centre), others represent angels, shepherds
  • beginning of church calendar
• christmas

  • celebrate birth of jesus
  • services at midnight on christmas eve - set up and bless crib
  • services on christmas morning - recall gospel accounts
  • exchange gifts - sign of love (reflects god's love in gift of jesus), wise men
  • spend time with family - jesus born into human family, strength of mary and joseph
• significance of christmas

  • celebration of the incarnation where christians believe god became man as jesus and without the birth of jesus christ, there would be no christianity
  • christians believe that before the incarnation, it was only possible to have a partial relationship with god because of the effects of sin. however through the resurrection, the power of sin has been cancelled and so it is possible for humans to die and have a full relationship with god, and go to heaven after death.
• significance of holy week

  • palm sunday reminds christians that jesus is the messiah, son of god and worthy of praise and adoration
  • maundy thursday reminds them of the origin and importance of the eucharist
  • holy saturday gives them time to reflect
  • easter day reminds them of salvation brought by jesus, the suffering he faced (gives them strength) and that life does not end once dead
• holy week

  • processing near the church on palm sunday with palm leaves or branches and distributing palm crosses
  • special eucharist on maundy thursday, priest washes peoples feet like jesus did to the disciples
  • walk of witness on good friday with 3 hour sermon marking the time jesus was on the cross
• easter day

  • ceremony of light to remember darkness of tomb and joy/light of resurrection
  • renewal of baptismal vows to remember rebirth brought by jesus
  • joyful services to celebrate resurrection
• significance of easter

  • celebrates resurrection of christ which proves that he is god's son as only god can rise from the dead
  • assures forgiveness of sins and people's restoration to god
  • gives christians assurance that jesus is alive to help guide church