what is an advent wreath?
The Advent Wreath is a popular Advent tradition for families. The origin of this custom dates back to pre-Christian Germany and Scandinavia with a pagan ritual celebrating the return of the sun after the winter solstice. (The Advent season on the Liturgical Calendar dates back to the late 4th Century.) There are numerous and varied explanations of the original symbolism associated with the physical makeup of the wreath, but the most likely is that it represented the cycle of the year and the life that survived through the harsh winter months… after the peak of the winter and as the daylight increased, candles were lit in thanks to the sun god. Today, the pagan ritual has been replaced with a Christian one, representing the coming of Jesus the Christ. Most Advent Wreaths use three purple candles and one rose colored candle. Not surprising, the symbolic meanings of the Wreath, the foliage, the candles and their colors have as many, if not more, are even more varied than with the origin
Advent is the season leading up to Christmas. It begins four Sundays before Christmas. For churches that follow a liturgical calendar, the first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of the church year. But most other Christian churches also observe Advent in one way or another. Advent was traditionally a time of penance and fasting in preparation for Christ’s second coming and for the Christmas celebration. Fasting is no longer observed, however, and Advent has become a more joyous season. Advent wreaths are becoming more and more popular to mark the weeks of Advent. They are used in homes as well as churches. Many churches host craft lessons where members can come and make Advent wreaths for their families. In churches, the candles are lit during services and extinguished afterward. In homes, the candles are lit each week and the family may read Bible passages and offer prayers appropriate for the season. The candles are extinguished afterward. (For safety, never leave an unattended cand
As Christians, we use symbols to express visually the basic tenets of our faith and as reminders of the pilgrimage of our life in Christ. Symbols can have heightened meaning for us when associated with particular seasons of that journey. One such symbol is the Advent wreath. The Advent wreath has its roots in the pre-Christian practices of northern Europe. People sought the return of the sun in the dark time of the year (at the winter solstice) by lighting candles and fires. As early as the Middle Ages, Christians used fire and light to represent Christ’s coming into the world. Using this same symbolism, the Advent wreath developed a few centuries ago in Germany as a sign of the waiting and hopeful expectation of the return in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The wreath, a circle, came to represent the eternal victory over death through Jesus Christ. The evergreens were a sign of the faithfulness of God to God’s people, even in death, and the lighted candles were a reminder of the light
Having an Advent wreath is a way of celebrating the Christian season of Advent: the four weeks preceding Christmas Day. An Advent wreath may appear in different forms, depending on the church or family displaying it, but most are round and covered with some sort of evergreen branches. Four tall candles sit on the rim and in the center is a large white candle – the Christ candle. The wreath may also be decorated with red bows or ribbons, or with other flowers or berries. Advent is one of the oldest Christian traditions and the Advent wreath itself dates back at least to the Middle Ages. It takes its history from the Germanic and Scandinavian people who used wreaths with lit candles to symbolize the hope of spring during winter’s dark, short days. The Advent wreath is full of significance to the Christian. The circle shape represents eternity. The evergreens adorning the Advent wreath represent Christ’s eternal life, while the four candles — three purple, one pink — represent the light t
