History

• The actual origin of Advent wreaths is not entirely certain, but it is believed that they probably evolved from the pagan tradition of using evergreens with candles in them in the dark winter days to signify the coming of spring and its light and warmth. Christians began to use Advent wreaths in the Middle Ages to show the light and love of God, evidenced by the coming of the birth of Christ at Christmas. Modern Advent wreaths originated in Germany in the 1800s and spread to other areas where they became widely used by Protestants and Catholics alike.
  
  

Time Frame

• Advent wreaths mark the passage of Advent, which is comprised of the four weeks before Christmas. There are four candles on Advent wreaths to represent each of these four weeks and the 4,000 years between Adam and Eve and the birth of Christ.
  
  

Features

• Most Advent wreaths are made of intertwined evergreen branches that form a circle around the four candles. Traditionally, three of the candles are purple and one is pink, with purple being the customary penitent color of Advent and pink the rejoicing color of the third Sunday of Advent when the season is halfway over.
  The first purple candle is lit on the first Sunday of Advent. The second purple candle is lit on the second Sunday of Advent, followed by the pink candle on the third Sunday of Advent (also known as Gaudete Sunday), and the third purple candle on the last Sunday of Advent. In modern times, white candles replace the pink and purple candles in Advent wreaths beginning on Christmas Eve and lasting throughout the Christmas season.
  
  

Significance

• Advent wreaths symbolize the light and hope that will come with Christmas. The evergreens used in Advent wreaths represent how the coming of Christ brings everlasting life to human souls. The fact that the Advent wreath is circular also symbolizes this idea of immortality in Christ, with no beginning or end.
  The purple color of the candles represents the penitence and sacrifices that are evidenced during the season of Advent as Christians prepare for the birth of Christ. The lighting of a new candle on the Advent wreaths each week symbolizes the anticipation of Christians awaiting Christ's birth and the salvation He will bring to believers. Light stands for hope.
  
  

Considerations

• Advent wreaths, while common in Christian churches, can also be used in homes to mark the passing of Advent and the hope for Christ's birth. An advent wreath can be placed in the center of a family's dining table and lit each night before the meal to remind the family of the season of Advent.