Learn about the history of Advent with iMinds JNR audio learning series for younger minds. You probably would agree that the four weeks leading up to Christmas are a special time of year. For Christians this is a period of preparation. Many Christians call these four weeks 'Advent' and they prepare themselves for the celebration of Jesus' birth. The word 'Advent' comes from the Latin 'adveneo', meaning 'to come to' and refers to Jesus' coming into the world at Christmas. The four-week Advent observed today was not always in place. In the fifth century, Advent began on 11 November and lasted the 44 days until Christmas.