History
With the start of the Advent season on Ad te levavi and Christians’ increased focus on the coming(s) of Jesus, many traditions have become associated with this first Sunday in Advent, serving as a physical reminder of the short yet important four weeks that precede Christmas.
Advent wreaths and candles are probably the custom with which many Lutherans are perhaps most familiar, as some form of this decoration has been part of Lutheranism since the sixteenth century.
However, the form of the wreath that you probably know and love has been around for much less time. Johann Hinrich Wichem, a Protestant pastor in Germany, is often cited as the originator of the modern version, which typically includes a series of candles that are meant to be lit on certain days leading up to the Feast of the Nativity. Made for the benefit of the children at his mission school in Hamburg, he created a ring with multiple holders for candles meant to be lit at different points in the weeks of Advent. Small red candles were lit every weekday and Saturday, with larger white candles being lit only on Sundays.
After Pastor Wichem’s introduction of the concept in Germany, it slowly spread throughout the rest of the European Lutheran lands and became a beloved tradition associated with Advent. Yet even so, the practice took longer to be adopted within the US, not taking off until after World War I. The tradition also changed over time and place, with the number of candles on the wreath significantly decreasing in most places until just four remained, with some adding the more recent “Christ” candle to be lit on Christmas.
In Scandinavian Lutheran churches, many congregations still light a candle for each day of Advent. In other European countries, parishes light one candle for each of the 24 days of December leading up to Christmas, not for the entire Advent season. Additionally, some use just a single candle with marks on the side for every day of the season, and the candle is then lit each day and allowed to melt down to the next day’s mark.
Although these various practices were always meant to be used within home and family settings, over time the traditions have become a widespread part of public worship.
Advent Wreaths & Candles
Reminiscent of the verse that Christ is the light of the world, the practice of Advent wreaths and candles helps call to mind John 1:4-5: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Foliage
Additional symbolism surrounds the Advent wreath, with many versions being made of evergreens, symbolizing everlasting life and the promises that come to us through our salvation in Christ. Furthermore, the addition of holly and berries to the wreath, or the use of red candles (popular with some), can point to Christ’s death on the cross and his shedding of blood for our sins.
Candles
For many others, the candles are typically purple and pink, with the ones associated with the first two Sundays and the last Sunday in Advent being purple, copying the liturgical colors for the Sundays and using the traditional color associated with Advent as a penitential season. A rose, or pink, candle is then lit on the third Sunday in Advent, reminding us that it is Gaudete Sunday, a pause in the penitential season, differentiating it from the other three.
Making Your Own Wreath
Although some also reference each of the four candles on the wreath as symbols of hope, faith, joy, and peace or calling them the “Prophet’s Candle,” “Bethlehem’s Candle,” Shepherd’s Candle,” or Angel’s Candle,” respectively, this part of the Advent wreath tradition is much newer, only being invented within US Christianity in the last few decades. Alternatively, the candles can instead be thought to represent themes characterizing the historic Sunday readings for these Sundays in Advent.
When creating your own Advent wreath at home, we encourage you to be creative in your endeavors and to keep these various aspects of symbolism at the heart of the tradition. Whether you gather evergreens to make into a ring, use a premade metal circle, or have another way of rendering a circle, your wreath can surely serve a reminder to you and your household of the focus of the Advent season.
Advent and the Wreath Printable
