The Advent Wreath: Keeping Christ At The Center Of Our Anticipation

The four candles of the Advent wreath burn brightly. The wreath is shown against a black background.

The Advent Wreath: Keeping Christ AtThe Center Of Our Anticipation

| 12/4/2022

By: The Good Newsroom

The Church counts down to Christmas not with calendars, but with candles, as part of the Advent wreath.

The Advent calendar helps to create joyous anticipation for our celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, on Christmas Day. We typically associate the calendars with chocolate surprises or other daily gifts. The English word “Advent” comes from the Latin term adventus, or “arrival.” The, er, advent of the Advent calendar is usually traced to Germany in the 19th century, with the countdown calendar eventually becoming larger. At that time, spaces or drawers for each day held sweets or small toys for children until opening.

Today, a quick Amazon.com search reveals more than 7,000 choices for Advent calendars this year, some from well-known brands including Godiva, Lego, and National Geographic.

The Church counts down to Christmas not with calendars, but with candles, as part of the Advent wreath. The Advent wreath–the history of which is also European but goes back as many as 500 years –is lit not on December 1, when most secular calendars start, but on the first Sunday of Advent, which falls on November 27 this year. Three violet candles join a single rose-colored one, all of which are joined on Christmas Eve by one white candle.

Although not a penitent season like Lent, Advent’s primary color is violet, symbolizing the preparation we are to make in our hearts, minds, and lives for the arrival of Jesus Christ. On the first two Sundays of the season, violet candles are lit. Then, on the third Sunday, the rose-colored candle is illuminated. This is known as Gaudete Sunday, gaudete meaning “rejoice.” Pope Francis referred to Gaudete Sunday as the “Sunday of joy” in 2014. The fourth violet candle is lit the following Sunday, followed by the white candle on Christmas Eve. While the Advent wreath and the lighting of the candles most commonly take place at the local parish, a similar celebration can be held in Catholic homes, with the candles being initially lit on the same Sundays as in Church, and again during the evenings of that week, perhaps when the family is gathered for dinner or other meal. Battery-powered candles can be used in place of real ones if fire safety is a concern. Instead of an Advent calendar, which focuses on an individual and likely does not reflect the season’s true meaning, the nightly lighting of an Advent wreath is a shared observance that keeps the approaching birth of Jesus Christ at its heart.

Advent certainly is the most wonderful time of the year. By keeping Christ at its center, we celebrate without removing its most wondrous part.

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