Advent is a special time in Lithuania 's a time to relax and spend time with family before the feast of 12 meals starts on Christmas Eve. The Latin word "advenire" is a time of waiting and preparing for the arrival of the Christ child.
And for the pagans, it is a time for renewal of the season and of the human spirit.
"In pagan times, Advent is also a time of death in nature. Light and darkness are fighting, and in the pear-tree song we will sing about the transformation because people didn't know when the sun would return again, so they sang about the tree of life," explained Daila Urbanavicene, a Kulgrinda dancer.
Christians and pagan traditions often coincide because they trace their feasts to the same calendar.
"Christians couldn't decide the exact day when Christ was born, so they decided to make it Dec. 25 and this is the same time when the pagans celebrate the sun rising earlier. In traditional Advent, it is a time to be calm and quiet for ancient pagans and Christians alike," said Daiva Steponariciene, a Sedula folk dancer and singer.
"It is a time for connections with our ancestors 's for them to bring help again, and for us to celebrate the life of the living and life after death," Urbanavicene said.
The Advent wreath is likely the most popular tradition, and wreaths are typically present in both the parish church and in the home. It is a more recent tradition, with the modern Advent wreath emerging in Germany and spreading throughout Europe and beyond in the 1930's. It is often circular, representing God's eternity, and it includes 4 candles - one for each Sunday of Advent. Many families have a wreath in the home, and will light the candles each Sunday and say Advent prayers together.( http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-articles/the-history-and-meaning-of-advent/article/173)
First Week - Candle for Hope
Second Week - Candle for Love
The Third Candle - Candle for Peace
The Fourth Candle - Candle for Joy
The Christ Candle (http://clergyresources.net/Advent/origins_of_advent.htm)
Songs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XSWGTzaFlY&feature=related
Sedula_ Atbėga alnis devyniaragis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdlDE679ZyI&feature=related