What is the order of the advent candles?
There are a total of 5 candles, a tall (usually wider) in the center surrounded by three purple candles and one pink candles. At the vigil (or first) Mass of the first Sunday in Advent a prayer is offered and the 1st purple candle is light. It burns at all Masses through the week (It may be extincted between Masses. On the 2nd Sunday another purple is light, before Mass, no prayers are offered, and the two candles burn through the week. On the Third Sunday in Advent (laetare Sunday – “joyful”) the pink candle is light before Mass, no additional Prayers offered before Mass, on the fourth Sunday light the fourth candle. On the first Mass of Christmas the four candles are replaced with white candles and those four burn with the white center candle.
