History
The word Advent comes from
the word “adventus” which means “coming”. In the Christian church, it
is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus
the Christ. Advent is a period beginning with the Sunday nearest the
feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (his martyrdom on 30 November 60 AD)
and the following three Sundays.
The origins of the Advent
wreath are found in the folk practices of the pre-Christian Germanic
peoples who, during the cold December darkness of Eastern Europe, gathered
wreaths of evergreen and lighted fires as signs of hope in a coming
spring and renewed light. In Scandinavia during winter, lit candles
were placed around a wheel, and prayers were offered to the god of light
to turn "the wheel of the earth" back toward the sun to lengthen
the days and restore warmth.
Christians kept these popular
traditions alive, and by the 16th century Catholics and Protestants
throughout Germany used these symbols to celebrate their Advent hope
in Christ, the everlasting Light. After all, Christ is "the Light
that came into the world" to dispel the darkness of sin and to
radiate the truth and love of God (cf. Jn 3:19-21). By 1500, both Catholics
and Lutherans had more formal practices surrounding the Advent wreath.
Symbols of Advent
There are many symbols and
meanings for the advent wreath.
The Circle - The circle here is the wreath. It is a universal
symbol of eternity, God Himself, His eternity and His endless mercy,
without beginning, nor end.
The Evergreens -- Juniper or cedar are usually used. They suggest
life and hope, our hope of newness, renewal and eternal life.
Holly - The prickly
leaves remind us of the crown of thorns, and one English legend tells
of how the cross was made of holly
Four Candles: The
four weeks of Advent, representing the four centuries between the time
of the Prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. A tradition is that
each week represents 1,000 years, to sum to the 4,000 years from Adam
and Eve until the birth of the Savior. (This tradition is exemplified
in the work of Anglican Archbishop James Ussher who in his 1650 treatise
The Annals of the Old Testament, Deduced from the First Origin of the
World, gave the date of Creation at 4004 BC; interestingly, he even
pinpointed Oct. 23 at noon.)
Three Colored (purple
or blue) Candles: A period of waiting, expectation and preparation.
Purple (color) -
Whether it be candles, ribbons or flowers, purple represents the holy
aspect of the Advent.
Pink (color) - Whether it be candles, ribbons or flowers, the
color represents joy.
Lighting the Candles
- The progressive departure of darkness from the world as the more and
more light is shed through the candles
The Burning Candles - They represent Christ as the light of the
world. The Light of God that came into the world through Christ to bring
newness, life and hope.
Prophet's Candle - A purple or white candle representing the
period of waiting. A time of expectation and hope. First Week.
Bethlehem Candle - A purple or white candle representing the
preparation to receive the Child and the peace that is to come. Second
Week.
Shepherd's Candle - A Purple or white candle representing the
sharing of Christ and the love of God for mankind.
Angel Candle - A
pink or white candle to represent rejoicing. It symbolizes joy for the
promise is almost fulfilled.
Christ's Candle - This candle is white or purple and represents
the Child's birth. Lit on Christmas Eve or Day to display that the light
of Christ has come into the world in fulfillment of the prophecies.
Everlasting Flowers - These represent everlasting life.
Traditional herbs and their meanings in the advent wreath are:
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) - the herb or remembrance
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) - the symbol of bravery of the child
Sage (Salvia officinalis) - the herb of immortality
Lavender (Lavandula, many species) - the herb of purity and virtue
Rue (Ruta graveolens) - the herb of grace
Costmary (Chrysanthemum balsamita) - the herb of everlasting
life
Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) - this herb represents good health
Description
Traditionally, the wreath
is made of four candles in a circle of evergreens. Three candles are
violet and the fourth is rose, but four white candles or four violet
candles can also be used.
The first candle is the
Prophecy Candle.
The second is the Bethlehem
Candle - symbolic of the Christ Child's cradle.
The third (pink) is the
Shepard's Candle - which typifies the act of sharing Christ. Pink symbolizes
the Advent Rose, a time to pause in this penitent season to Rejoice
in the Lord.
The fourth candle is the
Angel's Candle - the candle of love and final coming.
Note: Tradition varies
on the names of the third and fourth candle. Some have the Angel candle
as pink, others have the Shepard’s candle as pink
The fifth candle (white)
is placed in the center as the Christ Candle and is lit on Christmas
Eve.
The light of the candles
itself becomes an important symbol of the season. The light reminds
us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness
of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that
we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of
God’s grace to others (Isa 42:6). The progression in the lighting of
the candles symbolizes the various aspects of our waiting experience.
As the candles are lighted over the four week period, it also symbolizes
the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and the shadows of sin
falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. The flame
of each new candle reminds the worshippers that something is happening,
and that more is yet to come. Finally, the light that has come into
the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas,
and worshippers rejoice over the fact that the promise of long ago has
been realized.
Blessing the Wreath
The beginning of advent
is a time for the hanging of the greens, decorating with evergreen wreaths,
boughs, or trees that help symbolize the new and everlasting life brought
through Jesus the Christ.
Bless of the Advent Wreath
(Usually on Saturday evening
before the first Sunday of Advent)
Father,
Today we begin our time
of preparation for the birthday of your Son.
We ask you to bless this
wreath,
And grant that as we
use it we may receive abundant graces.
We ask this through Christ
our Lord
Amen.
First Sunday
Purple Candle
The youngest child lights
the candle opposite the rose candle
The first candle
is traditionally the candle of Expectation, Hope or Prophecy.
This draws attention to the anticipation of the coming of a Messiah
that weaves its way like a golden thread through Old Testament history.
As God’s people were abused by power hungry kings, led astray by self-centered
prophets, and lulled into apathy by half-hearted religious leaders,
there arose a longing among some for God to raise up a new king who
could show them how to be God’s people. They yearned for a return of
God’s dynamic presence in their midst.
And so, God revealed to
some of the prophets that indeed He would not leave His people without
a true Shepherd. While they expected a new earthly king, their expectations
fell far short of God’s revelation of Himself in Christ. And yet, the
world is not yet fully redeemed. So, we again with expectation, with
hope, await God’s new work in history, the second Advent, in which He
will again reveal Himself to the world. And we understand in a profound
sense that the best, the highest of our expectations will fall far short
of what our Lord’s Second Advent will reveal!
The head of household or
leader says the following prayer:
May this light remind
us of Jesus who is the true Light of world.
Let us call upon him
whose coming we await, for he is:
God from God,
Light from Light,
True God from true God.
O God, rejoicing,
We remember the promise
of your Son.
As the light from this
candle,
May the bless of Christ
come upon us,
Brightening our way and
guiding us by his truth.
May Christ our Savior
bring life into the darkness of our world,
And to us, as we wait
for his coming.
We ask this through Christ
our Lord
Amen.
Alternative:
“As our nights grow longer
and our days grow short,
we look on these earthly
signs--light and green branches –
and remember God's promise
to our world:
Christ, our Light and
our Hope, will come.
Listen to the words of
Isaiah the prophet:
The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those who lived in
a land as dark as death
a light has dawned.
You have increased their
joy
and given them gladness;
They rejoice in your
presence
as those who rejoice
at harvest,
as warriors exult when
dividing spoil. (Is. 9.1-2)
Second Sunday
Purple Candle
The eldest child then lights
the first candle and a candle next to it
The
head of household or leader says the following prayer.
Father,
Help us to prepare the
way of Jesus, the Light of the world.
May we who believe he
will come again always serve you.
Let us proclaim this
mystery of faith:
Christ has died, Christ
is risen, Christ will come again.
We ask this through Christ
our Lord
Amen.
Third Sunday
Pink Candle
The mother (or grandmother)
lights the previous candles and the rose candle
The head of household or
leader says the following prayer.
Lord, we ask you to penetrate
the darkness of our minds so that,
Filled with your brightness,
We may rejoice in your
coming as we say:
Blessed be God forever.
We ask this through Christ
our Lord
Amen.
The single rose-colored
candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, which is called "Gaudete"
Sunday. "Gaudete" is the Latin word for "rejoice", and
symbolizes an element of rejoicing in the midst of our penitential preparation,
for the joy of Christmas is almost here. The rose color is made by mixing violet with white. It is almost as if the joy we celebrate at
Christmas (symbolized by bright white) cannot contain itself during
this penitential season (violet) and burst forth a bit into the Advent
season.
Fourth Sunday
Purple Candle
The father (or grandfather
or head of household) lights all four candles
The head of household or
leader says the following prayer.
Lord,
May your light shine
in our lives, so that we may be freed from sin.
Protect us from all anxiety
as we wait in joyful hope for your coming as our savior:
For the kingdom, the
power and glory are yours now and forever.
We ask this through Christ
our Lord
Amen.
Christmas Eve
White Center Candle
The center candle is white
and is called the Christ Candle. It is traditionally lighted
on Christmas Eve or Day. However, since many Protestant churches do
not have services on those days, many light it on the Sunday preceding
Christmas, with all five candles continuing to be lighted in services
through Epiphany (Jan 6). The central
location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the
heart of the season, giving light to the world.
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