• Apepollo11@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      It’s a Christian tradition - four candles, one for each Sunday before Christmas. There’s often an extra one in the centre for Christmas day too.

      Every week an extra candle is lit. Today, using the conventional method, three candles would be lit.

    • noerdman@discuss.tchncs.deOP
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      1 day ago

      Maybe this comic doesn’t translate well, just because people don’t do the same stuff in different places. In Germany it’s tradition to light up one more candle on the four Sundays preceding Christmas. Even people who aren’t really religious often do that, because why not? It’s comfy and cozy.

      • Lembot_0006@programming.dev
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        1 day ago

        I understand. I celebrate a New Year (not every year, but from time to time, if I have the mood), but without sacrifices, blood and all that shit.

    • DarkCloud@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I’m a white guy from a predominantly Christian country. Never heard of this shit. An advent calendar with chocolate in it sure (they’re like a 30 day calander with a tiny cardboard door for each day and a chocolate behind each door), sure. Advent candles??

      Never heard of them.

      • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        They had them at Catholic school. I thought it was just the Catholics, but another comment indicates that the Lutherans might also do it. The Catholics LOVE their candles.

      • theolodis@feddit.org
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        1 day ago

        So you’re not christian? Just because you are from a “predominantly Christian country” doesn’t mean that you know anything about christian traditions.

        Also, the advent calendars with chocolate (and any other kind), usually have 24 doors, because you open them starting the first of December, until Christmas day (December 24th)

        • DarkCloud@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          No, I was raised going to Church and having Christmas as a celebration. Palm Sunday, Lent, and Baptism, ect.

        • Joelk111@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I largely agree with your comment, the person you replied to is unhinged, but I gotta tell you that Christmas day is the 25th. Often advent calendars will have either 24 or 25 days in them, it just depends on the calendar.

          • FooBarrington@lemmy.world
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            1 day ago

            I feel like the 24th/25th thing is an interesting generational divide. Millennials & below that I’ve talked to usually refer to the 24th as Christmas, whereas older people usually refer to the 25th.

            • Joelk111@lemmy.world
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              1 day ago

              I have never heard of this before, and was born in '97. It’s always been Christmas and Christmas Eve. Weird.

        • ApertureUA@lemmy.today
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          10 hours ago

          Ukrainian here, but should apply to other eastern european countries. It’s all Christian but all sideways sorta. Christmas is after New Years for most people (well “most” is like half), but people don’t care as much since new years exists and is when presents are given. Advent calendars are usually, in fact, 30 day. Made in China of course.

          This post is the second ever reference to advent candles I can recall having in my entire life. The first one was a YouTube short I saw portraying German stereotypes.

          • theolodis@feddit.org
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            9 hours ago

            Please forgive my ignorance, are Ukrainian christians predominantly roman or orthodox Catholics?

            Because as far as I am aware, all roman Catholics following the Pope in the Vatican celebrate either on the 24th or 25th.

            • ApertureUA@lemmy.today
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              7 hours ago

              Eastern orthodox Christianity pretty sure but Catholicism is a separate thing here from what people usually refer to as “Christianity”

    • Nikko882@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Lutheran practice, mainly. (Wikipedia link) Honestly never occurred to me that there are places where this isn’t normal (though the candles aren’t usually in wreaths here, just in regular candle sticks with four candles).