By Jacqueline Kelly –
Advent is a time to revisit the scene of the Nativity of our Lord.
Celebrating Advent is an excellent way to prepare your heart and mind for Christmas.
In the Book of Exodus and Genesis God tells us what to do by giving us signs and symbols. Signs tell us to do and symbols tell us what to feel and be aware of something. By the creation of symbols religion helps us to connect to the feelings.
Also read: Advent Season: Other Traditions That People Follow
The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word Adventus, meaning “coming”, which is a translation of the Greek word Parousia. Today, many know advent as a time of anticipation and expectation of the birth of Christ. It makes us pause and think each day in December why Jesus was born at Christmas?
Advent began as early as the 4th and 5th centuries as a time of fasting and prayer for Christians. Advent occurred in the 300’s A.D. at a meeting of Church leaders called the Council of Sargossa. It gradually developed into a season that stretched across the entire month of December.
Traditions vary in different countries across the globe but common ways of commemorating Jesus’ birth are through Advent calendars, wreaths and candles. The wreath and candles are full of symbolism tied to the Christmas season. The use of the wreath and candles during advent are a longstanding Catholic tradition that was originally adopted by Christians in the Middle Ages as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas.
Advent Wreath
Advent Wreath which has German origin first appeared in 1839. A Lutheran Minister working at a mission for children created a wreath out of the wheel of a cart. He placed twenty small red candles and four large white candles inside the ring. The red candles were lit on weekdays and the four white candles were lit on Sundays. Subsequently, the advent wreath was created out of evergreens, symbolizing everlasting life as the evergreen is continuously green.
The circular nature of the wreath, similar to a wedding ring reminds us of God’s unending love and the eternal life He offered through salvation which has no beginning or end.
Advent candles are often nestled in the evergreen wreath. The individual evergreens that make up the wreath have their own meanings that can be adapted to our faith. Decorations like hollies and berries are sometimes added. Their red colour points ahead to Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the Cross, shedding His blood for our sins. The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering.
The pine holly and yew signify immortality and the cedar signifies strength and healing. The pine cones that decorate the wreath symbolize life and resurrection. The wreath as a whole is meant to remind us of both the immortality of our souls and God’s promise of everlasting life to us through Christ.
Significance of Advent Candles
Advent candles shine brightly in the midst of darkness, symbolizing and reminding us that Jesus came as light into our dark world. In Scandinavia, Lutheran Churches light a candle each day of December. When Christmas approaches, they have 24 candles burning. Another advent candle option is a single candle with 24 marks on the side. The candle is lit each day and allowed to melt down to the next day’s mark.
Families begin lighting a candle on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and they light another candle each subsequent Sunday. Some families recite prayers and blessings as they light a candle on the wreath each Sunday. The four candles have their own special significance and represents something different. They are equally spaced, three purple ones to be lighted on the “Penitential Sundays” and a rose coloured one for “Gaudette”, the joyful Sunday in advent.
The first, second and fourth candles are purple because the colour is a liturgical colour that signifies a time of prayer, penance and sacrifice. The third candle is rose coloured. Sometimes, all the candles are red, in other traditions all four candles are blue or white. Occasionally, a fifth white candle is placed in the middle of the wreath and is lit on Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The first candle symbolizes hope and is called the “Prophet’s Candle”. The prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, waited in hope for the Messiah’s arrival. The second candle represents faith and is called “Bethlehem’s Candle”. Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, which is also the birthplace of King David. The third candle symbolizes joy and is called the “Shepherd’s Candle”. To the shepherd’s great joy, the angels announced that Jesus came for humble, unimportant people like them, too. In the liturgy, the colour rose signifies joy. The fourth candle is lit on the fourth week of advent and it represents peace and is called the “Angel’s Candle”. The angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace. He came to bring people close to God and to each other again. The fifth [optional] candle is the white candle and is called “Christ’s Candle”. It is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day.
Any kind of Christmas wreath such as those hung in windows may be used. It may be set on a kitchen or dining room table, on an end table in the living room, or in a child’s bedroom. The Candles can be placed inside or outside the wreath.