ADVENT derives from the Latin for ‘coming’ and has been celebrated since the fourth century. Its origins began with converts waiting to be baptised, who used the time to meditate and gen up on their new faith. Gradually Advent formalised into the anticipation of Christ’s birth, officially starting on the fourth Sunday before Christmas for Anglicans or the Sunday closest to 30 November, or the feast day of St Andrew the Apostle, for Catholics. This means the patron saint of Scotland – who also happens to play the same role in Romania, Barbados, Ukraine and Russia – kicks off Advent in huge parts of the world. In today’s increasingly
