The Advent Wreath
and its evolution.
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
The very first Christmas Season tradition I adopted when I moved into my own Home, was the Christian practice of a Family Advent Wreath. This tradition originated among German Lutherans in the 16th Century. However, it was not until three centuries later that the modern Advent wreath as we know it took shape, first by the Protestants and then spreading through to other Christians.
Advent wreaths are circular, representing God’s infinite love, and are usually made of evergreen leaves, which “represent the hope of eternal life brought by Jesus Christ.” Within the Advent wreath are candles that generally represent the four weeks of the Advent season as well as “the light of God coming into the world through the birth of Jesus Christ”.
Each of the candles has its own significance as well; individually, the candles specifically symbolize the Christian virtues of HOPE (week one), PEACE (week two), JOY (week three) and LOVE (week four) in many traditions. They are also known respectively as the “Prophecy Candle”, the “Bethlehem Candle”, the “Shepherd’s Candle” and the “Angels Candle”.
The most popular colours for the four surrounding Advent candles are violet and rose, corresponding with the colors of the liturgical vestments for the Sundays of Advent. With the Violet being the traditional color of penitential seasons, and Rose being the liturgical color for the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday from the Latin word meaning “to rejoice”.
Many Advent wreaths, including ours, also have a white candle in the centre to symbolize the arrival of Christmastide and the virtue of FAITH, commonly known as the “Christ candle”. It is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The Christ candle is coloured white because this is the traditional festal colour, and is also the colour of purity. We make it a family Advent practice to adorn this Candle with Symbols of Christ, as a way to tell his story to the younger members.
This year we opted to reuse the coloured candles from last year as they had plenty of life left in them if lit in the reverse order. I also tend to select fragrant Candles, this is a personal preference, which has the same effect for me as incense in a Church. Human beings are sensory beings and as such this can aid in creating a reflective and devotional atmosphere, especially for younger member.
A tradition we have also incorporated, that is less often seen to accompany the Family Advent Wreath, is the Bible readings, devotional time, and prayers associated with the wreath and each of it’s candles. I have these printed on individual cards, one for the wreath and each candle, which stay prominently displayed together with our Family Bible, by the wreath. A copy is included in this post for your own use, if wish to do so.
As a family we have made it the practice to light each candle on the Sunday Eve, as part of our daily closure. Lighting each additional candle on it’s respective Advent Sunday until all candles are lit on Christmas Eve after Midnight Mass, including the Christ candle. The Purple decorations are swapped out on Christmas Day for more traditional Christmas coloured decorations, and the wreath given centre stage on the Family Christmas table.
Recently a longtime aquaintance made me aware of a beautiful classic children’s song from legendary composer Natalie Sleeth called Light one Candle, that is very fitting for accompanying the lighting of the candles every week. Here is a beautiful rendition of it for your listening:
I hope that this Advent Tradition of Hope has given inspiration to you and your family. I pray that if you decide to incorporate it into your home, that it may bring many blessings and the gifts represented by each candle during your Advent Season.
I would love to hear about your own experiences, and practices you may have adopted, in relation to this Tradition. So please feel free to leave a comment below, if you feel called to do so.
