博多駅前のクリスマスツリーです!
今年は飾っていないお店も多いようなので貴重ですね。
Last week we went to the Christmas Market at Hakata Station. Have you been? (If no, check out the クリスマスマーケット link here.)
I was so happy that the event was able to be held this year. I was worried that it would be cancelled like so many other events have been (Oktoberfest, etc.) due to COVID-19. In Germany and elsewhere in Europe, most of the Christmas markets will not take place, but a few smaller markets will.
So, what are Christmas markets?
The markets generally open at the start of or a few weeks before Advent.
What's Advent, you ask?
Advent is 降臨節, 待降節〘クリスマス前の約4週間〙. The start and length of Advent changes from year to year, but as a rule it begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This year it began on December 29th which is Advent Sunday (降臨節の第1日曜日).
アドベントという単語は「到来」を意味するラテン語Adventus(=アドベントゥス)から来たもので、「キリストの到来」のことである。ギリシア語の「エピファネイア(顕現)」と同義で、キリスト教においては、アドベントは人間世界へのキリストの到来、そして、キリストの再臨(ギリシア語のパルーシアに相当)を表現する語として用いられる。
Many homes have Advent Wreaths, a kind of table decoration with four candles in them.