Hope Symbol
The Advent season begins Nov. 28, and many churches mark the weeks leading to Christmas by lighting candles in a wreath.
The horizontal evergreen wreaths hold four candles that are lit one-by-one each Sunday, said the Rev. George Dalton, parochial vicar at St. Ferdinand Roman Catholic Church in Cranberry Township.
The ever-increasing light of the candles represents anticipation of the coming of Christ, “the light of the world,” Dalton said.
The Advent season is observed in Christian churches that follow an ecclesiastical calendar of liturgical seasons to determine feasts, memorials, fasts and holy days. Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian faiths all observe advent.
From the Latin word adventus meaning “coming,” advent commemorates the First Coming of Christ at Christmas and prepares for the Second Coming.
“(Evergreen wreaths) were regarded as a sign and a symbol of hope during the winter season since Advent was always seen as a season for preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ and waiting for Christ's return,” Dalton said.
The circular evergreen wreath can also represent everlasting life, said the Rev. Mamie Ogle, pastor at Community Life Church.
“The fact that it's a circle is a reminder of God's forever love for us that doesn't have a beginning or end,” she said.
The custom's history is debatable because the wreath has been a part of European history since pre-Christian times, Dalton said.
The Advent wreath with four candles as we know it today is more clearly traceable to the 1800s in Germany, first by Lutherans and then by Catholics, he added.
“It did originate with the Lutherans,” said the Rev. Ron Brown, senior pastor at Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cranberry Township. “We use it every week in the Advent season and include it in the liturgy.”
Families come up to help read the liturgy with prayer afterward, Brown said, and then the acolytes light the candle.
The rites are very similar as in the Catholic Church, he said.
The four candles — three blue or violet, one rose-colored — each have a special significance that aligns with the meaning of Advent, Dalton said.
The two blue candles representing hope and peace are lit within the first two weeks.
The rose candle representing joy is lit next.
In some churches, including St. Ferdinand's, the third Sunday is known as Gaudette Sunday, which comes from the Latin word for rejoice, Dalton said.The readings on the third Sunday emphasize joyous anticipation of the Lord's coming.The blue candle representing love is lit the fourth week and if included, the center white “Christ” candle is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.The candles may be lit at church services and in private homes, Dalton said.“It's always desirable for things to come alight in the home as well as church buildings,” he said.About 18 ladies from Community Life Church gathered Saturday to make their own Advent wreaths in anticipation of the season.“It's really a time of spiritual reflection as well as cheer and anticipation as we look forward to the arrival of Jesus,” Ogle said.Wreaths are simple to assemble but can be purchased commercially at some Christian retail stores, Ogle said.The church delivered a message series over the summer called “Homegrown Faith,” during which Ogle came across the idea of creating Advent wreaths.“As we were preaching about it, we were looking at the importance of passing faith on to our children,” Ogle said. “Sometimes, the simplest way to do that is to create a family tradition.”As part of the wreath-making event, Ogle created a devotional for families to use when lighting the candles at home.“We thought it would create new memories and draw the family closer together over Christian values during a special time of the year,” Ogle said.The Advent wreath serves as a reminder of the season's true meaning, Dalton said.“It's a time in which we focus on how we want to deepen our relationship with God and how we want to welcome him more fully into our lives, into our homes and into the world,” he said.
