The Advent
Wreaths are circular garland of evergreen branches
representing eternity in form of five candles that are typically arranged.
During the season of Advent one candle on the wreath is lit each
Sunday as a part of the Advent services.
The
lengthening days held the promise of a return of summer and new growth, so
ancient peoples would gather evergreen or holly branches which still retained
the color of life and bind them into circles. The circles represented the
continuity of the year in which spring follows winter, summer follows spring,
autumn follows summer and winter again returns following autumn. When Christianity
replaced the pagan religions, the Christian Church wisely kept and retained
many of the ancient customs and simply gave these traditions a Christian focus.
Advent Wreaths are a common
Christmas decoration that is simply a variation of traditional Christmas
wreaths. Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the
coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Having them are a way of celebrating the
Christian season of Advent that may appear in different forms depending on
the church or family displaying it but most are round and covered with some
sort of evergreen branches. Four tall candles sit on the rim and in the center
is a large white candle called the Christ candle. They may also be decorated
with red bows or ribbons or with other flowers or berries. Advent is
one of the oldest Christian traditions and the Advent Wreaths itself takes back at least to
the middle ages. It takes its history from the Germanic and Scandinavian people
who used them with lit candles to symbolize the hope of spring during winter’s
dark and short days. They are full of significance to the Christian and as days
pass by, these have become a family tradition for many Christians but not all
churches formally recognize the season of Advent and do not include them in Christmas
celebrations. However, many of the Protestant and Evangelical Christians have
recognized the spiritual importance of Advent. Thus, more churches have revived
some of the Advent customs with these Advent
Wreaths being one of those customs. Whether or not, your church displays them
as a tradition that you can observe in your home. They can be purchased or created
and family would certainly magnify its importance in Christian families for
these are a wonderful family tradition that you can begin. The beautiful
memories you make with your children will last forever. As adults, they will certainly
want to continue this wonderful tradition and there
are still a lot of Christians who follow the tradition of having them on decors.
Most of the people who doesn't follow the tradition, they simple hung these outdoor
on front doors and can already make home beautiful for Christmas. These are
great ornaments that welcome our guests at home and their joyous appearance gives
a positive atmosphere towards us. Celebrating
with the Advent Wreaths during the
weeks prior to Christmas is a great way for Christian families to keep Christ at the center of Christmas
and for parents to teach their children the true meaning of Christmas. Another
Advent tradition that can be very meaningful and fun for children is to
celebrate with the Jesse Tree.
These Wreaths can be
purchased from any Christian bookstore or other stores specializing in
religious items. They are also becoming more common in the Christmas aisle in
regular stores. They are available in both online and regular stores. You can
also easily make your own by simply arranging a wreath of evergreen branches
and place the candles in holders spaced an equal distance apart around the Advent Wreaths. If you are using live
evergreen branches be sure to replace them with fresh branches as they dry out
and make sure the candles are secured so that the flame does not touch the
evergreens.
