Advent to Candlemas: The History of the Gospel Narratives of the Incarnation, Nativity and Epiphany.

Have put up your Christmas tree yet? For many people, especially in Britain, the beginning of Advent, or even earlier, is the time to put up the Christmas decorations. In Central Europe and in parts of the USA, it is more traditional to wait until Christmas Eve, 24th December. The ‘Twelfth Night’ of Christmas, the Eve of Epiphany, is the traditional time to remove the decorations, but these are perhaps seen more as Nordic pagan customs of ‘bringing in the evergreens’ rather than traditions that have their origins in the Christian faith.

The ‘Christmas Season’:

Traditionally, the ‘Christmas Season’ in the Church year occupies two months of it, from Advent Sunday and St Nicholas’ Day on 6th December to Candlemas at the beginning of February. Within that season, Christmas, the festival supposedly celebrating the birthday of Christ, always falls or begins…