Is Advent Pagan?
A Catholic Reflection and Defense
By Chris M. Forte
Every December, as the purple candles appear and the Church enters the quiet season of Advent, the same old accusations start to surface — that Advent is “pagan,” that it borrows from ancient solstice rituals, or that it’s just a repackaged version of sun-worship. Some even claim it’s “unbiblical” or “man-made tradition.”
Let’s be honest: these attacks don’t come from serious historical research. They come from ignorance, prejudice, and the same old anti-Catholic bigotry that’s been recycled for centuries. I’ve read the tracts, the blogs, the videos, and the “proofs.” None of them hold up to Scripture or history.
As a Catholic, I know Advent is not pagan — it’s profoundly Christian. Its meaning, symbols, and structure come straight from Scripture and the Church’s earliest understanding of Christ’s coming. The fact that some superficial parallels exist with pagan customs doesn’t make it pagan any more than pagans using fire made the discovery of fire demonic.
Let’s look at what the critics say — and then what the Church actually teaches.
1. The Accusations Against Advent
“It’s based on the pagan solstice festivals.”
Critics often point to the timing of Advent — late November through December — noting that it coincides with ancient midwinter festivals like Saturnalia or Yule. They claim the Church “Christianized” pagan sun celebrations to win converts. Some even say the increasing candlelight of the Advent wreath mimics pagan rituals celebrating the “return of the sun.”
This argument floats around the internet and in old anti-Catholic pamphlets. Writers like Alexander Hislop in The Two Babylons (1853) claimed most Catholic traditions, including Advent and Christmas, were just baptized Babylonian practices. Hislop wrote, “Papal worship is nothing else than the worship of Nimrod and his wife.” (Hislop, 1853).
Evangelical and fundamentalist circles have echoed this for decades. The accusation: that Advent — like Christmas — is just a pagan winter solstice party with Jesus’ name slapped on it.
“The Advent wreath is a pagan symbol.”
Another popular claim is that the Advent wreath — a circle of evergreens with four candles — comes from pre-Christian Germany, where pagans supposedly lit candles on evergreen wreaths to celebrate the return of the sun.
Yes, evergreen wreaths existed in ancient Europe. But the Christian Advent wreath as we know it was first developed in the 1800s by Johann Hinrich Wichern, a Lutheran pastor in Hamburg who used candles to teach children about waiting for Christmas. The custom spread quickly, and the Catholic Church embraced it as a devotional symbol, not a dogma.
So yes, the idea of a circle of greenery existed before Christianity — but so did bread, wine, and fire. The Church doesn’t run from these things; it redeems and re-purposes them for God’s glory.
“Advent isn’t in the Bible.”
This is another favorite of critics who claim, “If it’s not in Scripture, it’s not from God.” They argue that Advent, like Lent or the liturgical calendar itself, was invented later and is therefore “tradition of men.”
But that’s not how the Bible works. The concept of Advent — waiting for the Lord — is thoroughly biblical. The prophets spoke of it:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” — Isaiah 9:2
John the Baptist lived it:
“Prepare the way of the Lord.” — Luke 3:4
And Christ Himself commanded His followers to “keep watch” for His return (Mark 13:35). The liturgical season of Advent simply formalizes that command into a rhythm of prayer and preparation.
2. The Truth About Advent
The Word “Advent”
“Advent” comes from the Latin adventus — meaning coming or arrival. In the early Church, Christians celebrated both the first coming of Christ (His birth) and His second coming (the end of time). The season was never about the sun’s return — it was about the Son’s return.
From the 4th century onward, the Church began setting aside several weeks before Christmas as a time of fasting, prayer, and repentance — not to mimic pagans, but to prepare the heart for the coming of Christ. Historical evidence shows Advent began in Spain and Gaul as a penitential season, similar to Lent, long before any “Christianization” of pagan customs.
“In the early centuries of the Church, Advent arose as a result of the fixed dating of Christmas.” — The Gospel Coalition (historical overview of Advent’s origin)
So Advent’s development wasn’t a compromise with paganism — it was a deepening of Christian theology.
The Wreath, Candles, and Colors
The Advent wreath’s four candles symbolize the four weeks of waiting — Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love — leading to the birth of Christ, the Light of the World (John 8:12). The growing light of each candle represents that Light overcoming darkness, just as Christ conquers sin.
The purple (or violet) candles represent penance and royalty; the rose candle on the third Sunday — Gaudete Sunday — marks joy and anticipation. These meanings are entirely rooted in Christian Scripture and liturgical symbolism.
Evergreens symbolize eternal life. Circles represent God’s unending love. Pagans might have used greenery to celebrate nature — but Catholics use it to celebrate divine grace.
As St. Paul said,
“Test everything; hold fast what is good.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:21
The Church didn’t steal pagan symbols — it purified them.
3. The Real Roots of Advent
Advent was formalized in the Western Church by the 4th or 5th century, as Christians began observing a preparatory season before Christmas much like Lent before Easter. In some regions, it lasted six weeks; in others, four.
The earliest documents — like the Council of Saragossa (380 A.D.) and the Sermons of St. Gregory the Great (6th century) — show that Advent was a season of penance, prayer, and anticipation. The emphasis was always the coming of Christ, not the cycles of nature.
That distinction matters. Paganism is about humanity’s attempt to manipulate the natural world for favor from the gods. Christianity is about God entering human history to save it. Advent reverses the logic of paganism: it’s not man reaching up, but God coming down.
4. The Modern Misunderstanding
Today, many of the same voices who call the Mass “pagan” now say the same about Advent, Christmas, and even Easter. They see any ritual, symbolism, or season as “idolatry.” But this rejection of the sacred is not biblical — it’s reactionary.
These accusations are not born from theology or reason; they’re born from hatred. They come from a deep suspicion of anything Catholic, from centuries of anti-Catholic propaganda that labeled the Church as “Babylon,” “the Whore,” and “the synagogue of Satan.”
It’s tragic, really — because the people who scream “pagan!” at Advent are attacking one of the most deeply biblical and Christ-centered seasons in the Christian year. Advent is not a festival of darkness; it’s the solemn lighting of the way toward the Light of the world.
5. Advent: The Christian Answer to Paganism
The Church has always taught that Christ is the fulfillment of every human longing — including the ones expressed in ancient myths and seasonal rituals. People throughout history have yearned for light, renewal, and redemption. Pagan cultures expressed that longing through symbols of fire and greenery, but Christianity revealed what they were really yearning for: Christ Himself.
In that sense, Advent isn’t pagan. It’s the answer to paganism. It’s the season when the ancient world’s hope becomes flesh and dwells among us.
As Pope Benedict XVI once said:
“Advent invites us to pause in silence to understand a presence… It is an invitation to understand that every event of history is a word spoken by God to us.” — Homily, December 2, 2006
That’s the beauty of Advent: it sanctifies time. It transforms winter darkness into spiritual light. It’s not about the birth of a sun god — it’s about the Incarnation of the Son of God.
6. Conclusion: The Light Has Come
When I light the candles of my Advent wreath, I don’t see echoes of pagan fire festivals or ancient superstitions. I see the promise of Isaiah fulfilled:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” — Isaiah 9:2
I see the Church waiting in silence, hope, and faith — not for the turning of the seasons, but for the coming of the Savior.
Advent is not pagan. Advent is prophecy fulfilled. It is the heartbeat of the Church preparing for the Lord who was, is, and is to come.
“The night is far gone; the day is at hand.” — Romans 13:12
Notes & Selected Sources (Chicago Style)
-
Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons (Edinburgh: 1853).
-
The Gospel Coalition, “The History of Advent,” 2020.
-
Johann Hinrich Wichern and the Advent Wreath, Christian Heritage Fellowship (2021).
-
Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§ 524–526.
-
Pope Benedict XVI, Homily for First Sunday of Advent, December 2, 2006.
-
Council of Saragossa (380 A.D.).
-
St. Gregory the Great, Homilies on the Gospels, Book I.
About the Author
Chris M. Forte is a Catholic writer and storyteller based in Downtown San Diego. His work — from My Catholic Defense to The Italian Californian — explores faith, history, and identity. Through essays and stories, Chris confronts modern misconceptions about Catholicism and celebrates the timeless truth of the Church’s teachings. His writing reflects his conviction that the same light awaited in Advent still burns in every heart that seeks Christ.
