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Advent is a season of anticipation, hope, and preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. One of the most beloved traditions is the lighting of the Advent wreath - a circle of evergreens and candles that marks the weeks leading up to Christmas.
The Story Behind the Advent Wreath
The word “Advent” means “coming.” Christians use this season to reflect on Christ’s birth, his presence in our lives, and his promised return. The Advent wreath began as a practical tool in 1839, when Johann Hinrich Wichern, a German Lutheran, created a candle wheel to help children count down to Christmas. Over time, this evolved into the circular evergreen wreath we know today, symbolising God’s eternity and the everlasting life found in Christ.
Advent Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The date varies each year but it is always between 27th November and 3rd December. For many churches, this is an opportunity to pause and reflect as the first of the advent candles are lit.
Why Do Candle Colours Vary?
As the Advent wreath spread from Germany to churches and homes worldwide, different traditions developed around the colours and meanings of the candles. Each colour helps worshippers focus on a particular spiritual theme.
Purple, Pink, and White Advent Candles
Most Catholic, Anglican, and many Protestant churches use three purple candles, one pink, and a white Christ candle.
- Purple stands for penitence and preparation.
- Pink (or rose) is for joy, used on the third Sunday (Gaudete Sunday).
- White is for the Christ candle, lit on Christmas Eve or Day.
The four outer candles are often named for the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, each marking a Sunday in Advent. The Christ candle at the centre represents Jesus as the Light of the World.
Red and White Advent Candles
The original German Lutheran tradition, still popular in homes and some churches, uses red candles for weekdays and white for Sundays. Today, many sets feature five red candles and one white, or four red and one white, with the white candle lit on Christmas.
Red symbolises love, sacrifice, and the warmth of the season, while white stands for Christ’s purity and light.
Blue and Other Traditions
Some Anglican, Episcopal, Methodist, and Lutheran churches purple candles are replaced by dark blue ones, whose colour represents the colour of the night sky before the arrival of Jesus and inspired by the medieval Sarum Rite - the original basis for the Anglican book of common prayer. Blue symbolises hope and expectation, and helps distinguish Advent from Lent (which uses purple).
The Moravian Church often uses simple white beeswax candles, focusing on the light rather than the colour. Moravian traditions also include placing a candle in every window and displaying the Moravian star, both symbols of Christ as the Light of the World.
Different Christian traditions give the advent candles different names and use them to represent different biblical themes but in the most popular traditions the names are:
- The first candle - the prophecy candle - to symbolise the Hope of a Messiah proclaimed by the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah.
- The second candle - the Bethlehem candle - to commemorate Mary and Joseph’s journey there in preparation for the saviour’s birth.
- The third candle - the Shepherds’ candle - reminds us of the joy that came into the world when Jesus was born
- The fourth candle - the Angels candle - commemorates their declaration in the skies over Bethlehem of “Peace on earth, goodwill to men.”
- The fifth candle - the Christ candle - lit on either Christmas eve or Christmas day to celebrate his birth and the light He brought to the world.
Alternatively, the scheme that accords best with the Common Worship Principle Service Lectionary is:
- Advent 1 - The Patriarchs
- Advent 2 - The Prophets
- Advent 3 - John the Baptist
- Advent 4 - The Virgin Mary
- Christmas Day - The Christ
The white candle always represents Jesus and is lit on Christmas day. The Fourth Sunday, where the Virgin Mary is remembered either has a red candle or a pink candle. The pink candle is more commonly used within Catholic Churches and some Anglican traditions.
For more information you might like to watch this short video
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