Advent is a season unfamiliar to many, primarily associated with counting down the days until Christmas with a pretty paper-window calendar (or, if you’re fancy, the chocolate kind!). But Advent is much more than a countdown to December 25. It is a sacred season that has been celebrated by the church for centuries, a time of preparation to celebrate the first advent (or coming) of Christ, as well as to anticipate his second coming.

Christmas is so important that we simply can’t relegate it to a date on the calendar (or to the timeframe of the holiday shopping season). The mystery of Christ’s incarnation deserves far more than an extra worship service or a “Keep Christ in Christmas” bumper sticker. Celebrating Christmas more fully requires us to prepare room in our hearts for Christ’s coming into our own lives. This is where the Advent season comes in!

What does this look like? In the Middle Ages, Advent was observed with fasting and penance, similar to Lent. It was a time for Christians to examine themselves and repent of sin. Though turning away from sin and towards God should be a daily practice for Christians (fasting and penance not necessarily required!), during Advent it serves a special purpose to help us focus on the true “reason for the season.”

Advent is perhaps best seen as an invitation: how is Jesus inviting you to come closer to him this Christmas? Discerning this often requires us to slow down, get quiet, and yes, repent of any sin in our lives. It’s not for the sake of the spiritual disciplines themselves but for our own sake—to help us receive more of Christ and the hope, joy, peace, and love that he offers us.

This year it will be easier than most to slow down and avoid the holiday rush, simply because many seasonal activities won’t be happening. But instead of being disappointed about cancelled festivities, why not see this as a unique opportunity to embrace Advent more fully?

Doing so could prepare us to celebrate a Christmas like never before—perhaps the best one yet.