The Advent Wreath

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival" and our focus is the celebration of the birth of Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. But Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. This is a process in which we all participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate.

The circle of the advent wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life.

Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His son. The four outer candles -- which might be white, pink, purple or red -- represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The first candle is called “prophecy” or “hope” because it symbolizes the prophets’ promises that foretold Christ’s birth and the hope we have in Christ. The second candle is called “the Bethlehem candle” in honor of Christ’s birthplace or “love” because Christ is the Light sent into the world to show us the way out of darkness. The third candle is called “the shepherds’ candle” or “peace” because the only lasting peace to be found is through Christ. The fourth candle is called “the angels’ candle” or “joy” because it represents the angelic proclamation of joy at Christ's birth. On Christmas Eve, the white center candle – called the “Christ candle” -- is lit, representing our sinless, spotless, pure Savior.

A ring of evergreens decorated with candles was seen in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity. It symbolized the eternal cycle of the seasons, while the evergreens and lighted candles signified the persistence of life in the midst of winter. One theory credits a Protestant pastor in Germany as the inventor of the modern Advent wreath. The custom first gained ground among Protestant churches in Germany, Roman Catholics in Germany began to adopt the custom in the 1920s, and in the 1930s it spread to North America.