Advent wreath
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The Advent wreath is a Christian tradition that symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent. It is usually a horizontal evergreen wreath wtih four or five candles. Beginning with the First Sunday of Advent, the lighting of a candle is accompanied by a Bible reading and prayers. An additional candle is lit during each subsequent week until, by the last week before Christmas, all four candles are lit. Some Advent wreaths include a fifth, "Christ" candle which can be lit at Christmas. The custom is observed both in family settings and at public church services.
History
The ring or wheel of evergreens decorated with candles was a symbol in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity. The circle symbolized the eternal cycle of the seasons while the evergreens and lighted candles signified the persistence of life in the midst of winter. Some sources suggest the wreath--now reinterpreted as a Christian symbol--was in common usage in the Middle Ages, others that it was not established as a Christian custom until the 16th century in Germany. Johann Hinrich Wichern (1808-1881), a Protestant pastor in Germany and a pioneer in urban mission work among the poor, is widely credited with inventing the Advent wreath as a way to count the days of Advent as they moved towards the Christmas feast. During Advent, children at a mission school founded by Wichern would ask daily if Christmas had arrived. In 1839, he built a wooden ring (made out of an old cartwheel) with 19 small red and four large white candles. A small candle was lit successively every weekday during Advent. On Sundays, a large white candle was lit.
Eventually, the custom became popular in Protestant and Anglican churches and later in Roman Catholic churches in the United States. More recently, some Eastern Orthodox families have adopted an Advent wreath with six candles symbolizing the longer Advent season in Orthodox tradition. [citation needed]
Symbolism
There are several interpretations of the symbolism of the Advent wreath.
The accumulation of light is an expression of the growing anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ, who in Christian faith is seen as the light of the world. The circular wreath represents God's eternity and unity. Evergreens are a symbol of enduring life.
The most popular colors for the Advent candles are purple and rose. In the Western church, purple is the historic liturgical color for three of the four Sundays of Advent: once the color associated with royalty, it symbolizes Christ as the "Prince of Peace." Rose is the color for the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday from the Latin word "rejoice." Gaudete Sunday anticipates the joy of the Christmas celebration, so its color is a mixture of Advent purple and Christmas white. It may also symbolize the color of early dawn.
Other variations of the Advent wreath add a white candle in the center to symbolize Christmas, sometimes known as the "Christ candle." It can be lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. White is the traditional festal color in the Western church.
Other traditions use only four purple candles because rose vestments and decorations are not commonly used in Protestant churches. Blue is also a popular alternative color both for Advent vestments and the Advent candles, especially in some Anglican and Lutheran churches. Blue is both the color associated with the Virgin Mary and the color of the night sky as it lightens towards dawn. White or red candles can also be used.
In some traditions the first candle is called the prophet's candle and is meant to signify the hope of Jesus' coming. The second is called the Bethlehem candle in honor of the city of Christ's birth. The third candle is the shepherds' candle. The final candle is the angels' candle, symbolising the angelic proclamation of joy at Christ's birth.
More commonly, the candles consecutively symbolize "hope," "peace," "joy" and "love."
External links
- History of Advent wreath, sample lighting service, virtual wreath at i.UCC online community
- Advent FAQ at the Missouri Synod Lutheran web site
- Advent wreath FAQ at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America web site