ADVENT WREATHS

The four Sundays before Christmas are celebrated as Advent.  The four candles on the Advent Wreath represent the Light of the World. One candle is lit Each Sunday.  Three candles are purple and are lit on the first, second and fourth Sundays of Advent.  The fourth candle is pink and is lit on the third Sunday of Advent.  

• First purple candle, the Prophecy Candle, symbolizes hope.
• Second purple candle, the Bethlehem Candle, symbolizes faith and Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem.
• Third pink candle, the Shepherd's Candle, symbolizes joy and remembers the joy of the shepherds.
• Fourth purple candle, the Angel's Candle, symbolizes peace.  This candle represents the angel's message of "Peace on Earth and good will towards men."

In 1839, Pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern, Germany, made a wreath from an old cart wheel to help children at his mission school count down the days until Christmas.  He decorated the wheel with red candles for weekdays and Saturdays, and a large white candle for Sundays.  The tradition became popular among Protestant churches in Germany and in 1920 was adopted by the Roman Catholic Church.  It was German immigrants who brought the tradition to the United States. 

Our world today is filled with both darkness and light.  Lighting the candles in December is a way for us to reflect on hope, peace, joy and love.  It is my personal opinion that we don't need to be labeled as belonging to a certain formal religion in order to do that.  Nor is it difficult to make and decorate an evergreen wreath, buy four candles and light one each week.  It's the business of trying to get along with each other, feeling compassion for one another, thinking positively and taking delight in life's countless blessings.  Sometimes doing all that isn't easy, yet our persistence and positive outlook will get us to the other side of the dark times that leave us with broken hearts.  Been there, done that.

A burning candle is the perfect symbol for the passage of time and life itself.  The longer it burns, the shorter it gets.