The Advent Wreath

The custom of the Advent wreath can be traced back to Scandinavia, where ancient people used it celebrate the return of light after a long season of darkness. The Christian Church adopted it to symbolize the coming of Christ after thousands of years of spiritual darkness.

The wreath consists of a circle of evergreens, into which is inserted, at equal distance from each other, four candles: three purple and one pink. On each Sunday before Christmas, a candle is lit. On the first, second and fourth weeks, a purple candle is lit. The pink one is lit on the third Sunday of Advent. The circle of evergreens reminds us of the eternal life which Christ offers.

In the center of the circle, a large white candle is placed. It is the Christ candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, as a symbol that Christ has come.

The Advent wreath is often found in churches and in Catholic schools. It is an especially effective devotion when done within the family. The wreath may be placed on the dinner table during the Advent season and the appropriate number of candles lit during the evening meal each day. The children love to watch the big day getting closer.

Each Sunday, as another candle is lit, a short prayer may be said reflecting the special meaning of that candle. The prayers are readily available at any Christian book store, or the family can make up its own, perhaps assigning the composition of each week's prayer to a different family member. Here are the themes for each week of Advent:

The First Sunday of Advent: Expectation. As the people in Old Testament times awaited the first coming of Jesus, so we await his second coming at the end of time.

The Second Sunday of Advent: Preparation. As John the Baptist urged the people to repent to prepare for Jesus' coming, so we should repent our sins in preparation for the celebration of his spirit coming to us anew at Christmas.

The Third Sunday of Advent,(Gaudete Sunday): Proclamation. We rejoice because Christmas is
near. We rejoice too because his second coming is nearer than ever before. The pink candle is lit.

The Fourth Sunday of Advent: Revelation. We praise God because the promise is about to be fulfilled. We thank him for revealing his great love for people through the gift of his Son.

The tradition of the Advent wreath comes to us from ancient times. Its very survival testifies to its effectiveness in reminding us of the real meaning of Christmas. It is a visual representation of the passage of time as we await, every year, another celebration of the birth of the Christ Child into our world