Discover the meaning of Advent candles! Four or five? Purple or red?

Advent is a four-week season in the Church calendar dedicated to anticipating the arrival, or “advent,” of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-awaited Messiah and King. Christians from many backgrounds celebrate this time with reflections on hope, peace, love, and joy. And while their practices may look different, all focus on the hope-filled arrival of Jesus.

Who Celebrates Advent?

People from Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and other Christian traditions celebrate Advent, though the specific practices may vary from community to community. Additionally, some people celebrate Advent without focusing on Jesus’ arrival, seeing the tradition as a fun way to countdown to Christmas.

Advent wreath

The Advent wreath, or Advent crown, is a Christian tradition that symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western church. It is traditionally a Lutheran practice, although it has spread to many other Christian denominations.

It is an evergreen wreath with four candles, sometimes with a fifth white candle in the center.

Are you curious about the meaning of Advent candles?

Do you wonder how many candles should be used and what their colors signify?

Allow us to provide you with a detailed explanation.

Traditionally, Advent wreaths are decorated with four candles, with one candle lit on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas.

The first candle, typically purple, is lit on the first Sunday of Advent. The second candle, also purple, is lit on the second Sunday of Advent. The third candle, which is pink or rose-colored, is lit on the third Sunday, also known as Gaudete Sunday. The fourth and final candle, again purple, is lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent.

However, it is worth noting that some Advent wreaths use five candles instead of four.

The fifth, typically a white candle, is placed in the center of the wreath and lit on Christmas Day.

But what do the colors of the candles signify? Generally, the purple candles symbolize repentance and preparation for the coming of Christ. The pink candle, on the other hand, represents joy and rejoicing while waiting. Finally, the white candle represents the birth of Jesus and the hope and peace it brings.

The Meaning of Advent

For many of us, the season of Advent is the beginning of the Christmas rush. Finding gifts, baking cookies, Christmas cleaning. But the true message of Advent is something completely different. Advent should be a time of calm and contemplation.

An advent wreath can help us forget pre-Christmas stress, at least for a while, which is much more than just a decoration in the middle of the table. The word advent, derived from the Latin word “adventure,” means arrival. People are preparing for the coming of Christ.

Some historical accounts place Advent as early as the 4th or 5th century, but most agree that Advent as we know it today did not begin until the Middle Ages. The first mention of the Advent wreath as one of the symbols of this period comes from the first half of the 19th century.

The origin of the Advent wreath

The first Advent wreath is probably younger than you think. The beginnings of this tradition can only be found in the 19th century, specifically in 1839. It is said that the Lutheran pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern was the first to create it in an orphanage in Hamburg.

He created the wreath to make counting down the days until Christmas easier for children. He used an old wooden wheel from a wagon. He placed nineteen small red candles around the outer circle of the wheel and four larger white candles inside the circle. Together with the children, he lit red candles on weekdays and white candles on Sundays.

The original idea quickly spread throughout Germany; for simplicity’s sake, only four candles referring to the four Advent Sundays were soon placed on the wreath. At the beginning of the 20th century, the tradition of the Advent wreath spread from Germany to other countries, not only Protestant but also Catholic.

By the way, initially, the wreath was hung by ribbons on a chandelier on the ceiling; nowadays, the Advent wreath is usually placed on the table.

What does the advent wreath mean?

Both the wreath and its candles are full of symbolism. The Christmas wreath, made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circular shape, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes God’s eternity, the soul’s immortality, and the promise of eternal life God gives us through Christ.

Even individual evergreens have their meanings. Laurel means victory over persecution and suffering. Pine and yew represent immortality, cedar strength, and healing. Holly leaves can be prickly and are therefore used as a symbol of the crown of thorns that Jesus wore during his crucifixion.

The berries that adorn the wreath should be red to signify Christ’s sacrifice and shedding blood for our sins. Cones, seeds, and nuts are placed on the wreath to symbolize resurrection and the promise of new life.

Advent candles and their color

Many of us today consider the candles on the Advent wreath decoration. But that is not true; Advent candles have a deep symbolic meaning, and each has a name. How many candles should there be? In the most common tradition, four candles are used, gradually lit on the four Advent Sundays.

The color of the candles may vary, mainly depending on the direction of the Christian church. According to Catholic tradition, the first, second, and fourth candles should be purple, while the third should be pink. The ribbons on the wreath can also have the same colors as the candles.

Purple is a liturgical color that signifies a time of prayer, penance, fasting, and sacrifice. Pink, on the other hand, is the color of joy. Catholicism also states that the four candles representing the four weeks of Advent each represent 1,000 years, which adds up to 4,000 years from Adam to the birth of the Messiah.

In the Protestant religion, Advent candles are red and gold. The red color symbolizes the blood of Christ and the golden victories of goodness and life. Lutheran wreaths are decorated with blue candles.

It is also customary to place a fifth white candle in the middle of an Advent wreath with four candles of the same color, lit on Christmas Day.

Names of Advent candles

Individual candles also have their names related to their symbolism or the virtues they express. What do the candles on the Advent wreath mean?

• The first Advent candle – the candle of Hope
• The second Advent candle – the Peace candle
• The third Advent candle – Friendship or Joy candle
• The fourth Advent candle – the Love candle

A tradition also places a fifth candle, called the Christ candle, in the center of the Advent wreath. In addition to symbols, the meaning of Advent candles can also be interpreted using the Christmas story, where each candle represents a part of it.

• The first week of Advent – prophecies about the coming of the Messiah
• The second week of Advent – Bethlehem, the place of Jesus’ birth
• The third week of Advent – the shepherds who came to see Jesus
• In the fourth week of Advent, the angels announced the good news of Jesus’s birth to the shepherds.

The meaning and names of the candles on the Advent wreath are illustrated in the following video.

The Meaning of Advent Candles

The first Advent candle

The first purple candle that is lit on Iron Sunday symbolizes hope. It is also known as the “candle of the prophets” because it reminds us of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who predicted the birth of Christ.

This Advent candle represents the expectation and hope that God will fulfill the prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament.

Second Advent candle

The second purple candle symbolizes peace and tranquility and is sometimes called the “Bethlehem candle” because it commemorates the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, the place of Jesus’ birth. It is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, nicknamed Bronze Sunday.

One of the hallmarks of the Christmas story is when the angels appear to the shepherds and proclaim, “Peace on earth.” The Jews wanted a Savior to overthrow the oppressive rule of the Romans and bring peace and tranquility. But Jesus had something else in mind – inner peace. The peace and tranquility that comes from the assurance of salvation.

The third Advent candle

The third candle should be pink and represent the joy that comes because of the coming of Jesus and the salvation he gave mankind. We can also come across the name “shepherd’s candle,” as it also refers to the joy experienced by shepherds when they received the news of Christ’s birth. A candle is lit on Silver Sunday.

The pink color of the candle has its roots in what is known as Gaudete Sunday; when a passage from the Letter to the Philippians is read, the verses encourage the faithful to rejoice because “the Lord is indeed near.” Priests wore pink robes today, as pink is the liturgical color of joy.

The fourth Advent candle

The last purple candle, lit on Golden Sunday, commemorates the last week of Advent when we await the birth of the Savior. Also known as the “angel candle,” this candle signifies love.

The word love occurs up to three hundred times in Scripture, depending on the translation. Throughout his ministry, Jesus focused on preaching love. Even two of his greatest commandments are about love – love God and love your neighbor.

The fifth Advent candle

In some countries, in addition to the four Advent candles placed on the wreath, you can also find a fifth candle in the middle. This white candle is called the “Christ Candle” and represents the birth of Jesus. It is lit on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. The white color signifies the purity, innocence, and sinlessness of Jesus Christ.

How to light an Advent wreath?

Not only the wreath itself but also the lighting of the candles on it is an important element of the celebration of each Advent week. Candles symbolize the light that came into the world with the coming of Jesus Christ.

We already know the meaning of Advent candles and that the most common tradition usually uses four. Each candle is then lit on one of the four Sundays before Christmas.

The candles should be lit in the exact order, counter-clockwise. If the wreath also contains the fifth Advent candle in the middle, it is lit on December 24 or 25.