Download / view the Advent Wreath brochure

Overview

The Advent wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition for the period of time we call Advent. It is a devotion that is performed at Mass and is well suited for use in homes. Since the Middle Ages, the tradition of Advent wreathes was used by Christians as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas.

The symbolism of the Advent wreath is beautiful. The wreath can be made of various evergreens, signifying continuous life. Even these evergreens have a traditional meaning which can be adapted to our faith: Laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering; pine, holly, and yew, immortality; and cedar, strength and healing. Holly also has a special Christian symbolism: The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns, and one English legend tells of how the cross was made of holly. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ. Any pine cones, nuts, or seedpods used to decorate the wreath also symbolize life and resurrection. All together, the wreath of evergreens depicts the immortality of our soul and the new, everlasting life promised to us through Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death, and resurrection.

The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. A tradition is that each week represents one thousand years, to sum to the 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the Birth of the Savior. Three candles are purple and one is rose. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of His second coming to judge the living and the dead.

The light again signifies Christ, the Light of the world. Some modern day adaptions include a white candle placed in the middle of the wreath, which represents Christ and is lit on Christmas Eve. Another tradition is to replace the three purple and one rose candles with four white candles, which will be lit throughout Christmas season. In family practice, the Advent wreath is most appropriately lit at dinner time after the blessing of the food.

Setting up an Advent Wreath in your home

1. To construct the wreath you will need: candles, candle holders, and evergreens. All of these items are available from local merchants or online. See the list of suppliers below.
2. Candles for wreaths can be either candlestick size, votive candle size, or pillar candle size.
3. Candle holders can be any of these or similar forms:
   • A metal ring containing four sockets to hold candlestick size candles. These are available from vendors. An alternative would be to use small single candle holders for each of the four candles.
   • Four votive candle holders (glass or metal)
   • Four pillar candle bases (any composition)
4. Evergreens can be either live clippings from evergreen trees or simulated (plastic) evergreens obtained from vendors.
5. Plan to have your wreath set up for use on the First Sunday of Advent. Many families light their wreath for the new week at their large dinner. It is also common to light the wreath during each meal.
6. Provide a copies of the Advent Wreath brochure for each person to follow along and say the prayers together with the prayer leader.
7. On the First Sunday of Advent the prayer leader leads the prayer at the bottom of the “Dedicating Your Advent Wreath” page. Then one or more members of the group reads the information about the First Sunday of Advent, after which they say the prayer for that Sunday. The candles for each Sunday of Advent are:
   • 1st Sunday of Advent - the Prophets' Candle
   • 2nd Sunday of Advent - the Bethlehem Candle
   • 3rd Sunday of Advent - the Shepherds' Candle
   • 4th Sunday of Advent - the Angels' Candle
8. On the successive Sundays of Advent the prayer leader reads the information applicable to that Sunday after which the person or group says the prayer for that Sunday.

Again, for more information, please refer to the Advent Wreath brochure.

Suppliers of Advent Wreath components

Preferred Supplier:

St. Michael's Knights of Columbus
After weekend Masses in Advent
In the Hallway of the Family Life Center

Local Supplier:

Hobby Lobby (125 Tx 332, Lake Jackson)
(979) 297-8591 

Nearby Suppliers:

Sacco's (2323 San Jacinto, Houston)
(800) 231-7513
 

Autom - 
http://www.autom.com/

Catholic Supply of St. Louis - 
http://www.catholicsupply.com/christmas/chadvwrea.html

Abbey Press - 
http://www.saintmeinradgiftshop.com/

Online Resources about the Advent Wreath

Catholic Education Resource Center    
http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-history-of-the-advent-wreath.html

Christianity About    
http://christianity.about.com/od/christmas/qt/adventwreath.htm

Catholic Culture    
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=954