Advent Wreath.

[MoreCoffee]

The concept of the Advent wreath originated among German Lutherans in the 16th Century.

If your church has an advent wreath what explanation is given for the four candles?

 

[NewCreation435]

The church I attend is not very traditional. The site where I now attend meets at a high school auditorium. I have not seen an advent wreath. Though I grew up in a church with one. I know we light a candle in the four weeks before Christmas, but not sure what all the significance is for the candles

 

[Josiah]

The concept of the Advent wreath originated among German Lutherans in the 16th Century.

If your church has an advent wreath what explanation is given for the four candles?

Yup, although this is a LUTHERAN tradition, it eventually made it's way around the world (I understand recently even Russian Orthodox began to embrace this custom).


Yes, the actually symbolism, "explanations" (even colors) all differ - even within Lutheranism.


This is one of those childhood things for me.... something I remember from my earliest days and just a big part of Advent for me.

 

[Imalive]

One church I attended years ago, evangelical, they put up those candles. No idea why.
My mom buys these advent calendars for the kids sometimes. Every day a toy. Worked fine w me as a kid, but they pluck em all out at once.

 

[Albion]

One church I attended years ago, evangelical, they put up those candles. No idea why.

I'm going to venture a guess that it had something to do with Advent, even if that church assigned different meanings to the four candles.

.

 

[MoreCoffee]

One church I attended years ago, evangelical, they put up those candles. No idea why.
My mom buys these advent calendars for the kids sometimes. Every day a toy. Worked fine w me as a kid, but they pluck em all out at once.

If the children are very young then a parent or other adult needs to make each day's toy an adventure and keep the calendar under parental control. That way the children get more excitement spread over a longer time.

 

[IACOBVS]

In the Anglican Church, the candles represent Christian concepts as follows:
Week 1: Hope (Violet)
Week 2: Peace (Violet)
Week 3: Joy (Rose)
Week 4: Love (Violet)
Christmas Eve: Christ Candle (White)
The colour of each candle is the liturgical colour for the day.
The church I attended would always have a reading or poem as well as a prayer to go along with the theme of the candle of the day, when it was lit at the beginning of the Mass.

 

[MoreCoffee]

In the Anglican Church, the candles represent Christian concepts as follows:
Week 1: Hope (Violet)
Week 2: Peace (Violet)
Week 3: Joy (Rose)
Week 4: Love (Violet)
Christmas Eve: Christ Candle (White)
The colour of each candle is the liturgical colour for the day.
The church I attended would always have a reading or poem as well as a prayer to go along with the theme of the candle of the day, when it was lit at the beginning of the Mass.

Our candles are also purple, purple, rose, and purple. We do not have a white candle because when Christmas eve arrives the wreath is gone and the nativity with the infant Christ is present. We have two nativity scenes. A large one in the foyer and a smaller one that is brought in to the sanctuary on Christmas eve after sunset.

The candles are often given significance from the readings for each Sunday of Advent. But the meaning can vary because we have no specific recommended meanings. I guess the wreath is still too young to be a fixed part of the liturgy. It's only a few hundred years old

 

[IACOBVS]

Our candles are also purple, purple, rose, and purple. We do not have a white candle because when Christmas eve arrives the wreath is gone and the nativity with the infant Christ is present. We have two nativity scenes. A large one in the foyer and a smaller one that is brought in to the sanctuary on Christmas eve after sunset.

The candles are often given significance from the readings for each Sunday of Advent. But the meaning can vary because we have no specific recommended meanings. I guess the wreath is still too young to be a fixed part of the liturgy. It's only a few hundred years old

It may vary from one Anglican parish to another, but the one I attended had both a white Christ candle in the wreath and and a nativity scene on Christmas Eve. I have yet to see what the Lutherans with whom I now worship do.

 

[Imalive]

If the children are very young then a parent or other adult needs to make each day's toy an adventure and keep the calendar under parental control. That way the children get more excitement spread over a longer time.

Oh.
She gave it w Christmas. Maybe that wasnt so smart lol.