The Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath is believed to have originated in the pagan religions of northern Europe, and was known as the pagan fire wheel. Specifically it seems to have originated in Germany. During the solstice, evergreen wreathes were gathered and fires (candles) were lighted on the wheel as signs of hope for the coming of spring and renewed light.

Kept alive by the Christians, in the 16th century this fire/light symbolism came to represent the Advent hope in Christ, the everlasting Light. It is said to represent the thousands of years from Adam to Christ during which coming of the Redeemer was awaited as well as the cycle of years since then where we await the second coming of Christ. It became the basis for the Advent wreath.

The Advent wreath is traditionally made of a circle of evergreens with four candles around the perimeter and one in the center. The circular shape is a symbol of eternal life (the life found in Christ), and the endless nature of God's love for His people. The evergreen branch itself symbolizes the continuation of life as it remains green through the winter.

Making the wreath can be a family activity. When making a wreath, size should be considered in relation to the worship space so it makes a statement yet doesn't draw attention away from the surroundings. Evergreens are bound together in a circle and the ribbon and candles etc are added as the wreath is put together (although some believe that the wreath should be unadorned as this is symbolic of God's creation). Laurel may be used as well as it is a symbol of victory and represents the victory in Christ over sin and death, but evergreens are traditional. When the wreath is finished, you may want to suspend it from the ceiling or set it on a table or stand.

Making the candles can also be a family activity. If you wish to learn about making your own candles, I have found that the Candle Making Instructions page is a great place to start.

In the wreath are five candles, each representing an aspect of the Christmas story. Four of the candles are equally spaced around the perimeter of the wreath. Three are purple (or royal blue which some use to represent the joy which differentiates the celebration of Advent from the penitence of Lent) and the fourth is rose. The purple colors, representing royalty, longing, and preparation, are lit on the first, second, and fourth Sundays (the "penitential" Sundays), and the rose-colored candle is lit on the third Sunday ("Gaudete" or the joyful Sunday in Advent). The fifth candle (the Christ candle) is white and is placed in the center of the wreath on Christmas Eve.

The first candle (a purple candle) is the Prophecy candle which announces the period of waiting. The second candle (also a purple candle) is the Bethlehem candle which is symbolic of the preparations made for the coming of the Christ child. The third candle (the rose-colored candle) is the Shepherd's candle (also known as the Joy candle) and typifies the act of sharing Christ. The fourth candle (the final purple candle) is the Angels' candle representing love and the final coming. A fifth candle (a white candle) is placed in the center of the wreath and is called the Christ candle which reminds us that Christ is the light of the world.

Each day the candle(s) are lighted, perhaps before the evening meal or during a period for worship and/or meditation. The lighted candles remind us of the light Christ brought in to the world, amd the light from the candles grows brighter each week as we come closer to Christmas.

Now you know what the wreath is all about! There certainly is a lot more to it than I knew before creating this page! Now, let's see how we can use it in our Advent Celebration!