← All journal entries Advent

Why we light the Advent candles

· 2 min read

Advent means coming. For four Sundays before Christmas, Christians around the world wait and prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus, born in a stable in Bethlehem. “I am the light of the world,” He said (John 8:12, KJV).

The wreath is one of the simplest ways to keep that waiting at the centre of a busy season. A ring of greenery, four candles around the edge, and one more in the middle. Each Sunday, one more candle is lit, so the light grows a little brighter every week until Christmas.

Where the wreath came from

Many people trace the Advent wreath to Johann Hinrich Wichern, a Lutheran pastor in Hamburg in the 1800s. The children in his care kept asking how many days were left until Christmas, so he set candles on an old cartwheel and lit one more each day. Over time, the idea was simplified to four candles for the four Sundays, set in evergreen branches, and it spread from home to home.

What each candle means

Traditions vary from church to church, and that is part of the charm. In our home, we use these:

  • Hope, the first Sunday. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2, KJV)
  • Peace, the second Sunday. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, KJV)
  • Joy, the third Sunday. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10, KJV)
  • Love, the fourth Sunday. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, KJV)
  • Christ, the white candle in the middle, lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11, KJV)

The circle of evergreen is a picture of God’s love that has no beginning and no end.

Starting this year

You don’t need anything special. Four candles on a plate with a few sprigs from the garden will do beautifully, and any colour is fine. Choose one meal each Sunday, light the candles, read the verse, and let the youngest person blow them out at the end. That’s the whole tradition.

Our free Advent Scripture Reading Plan has a short reading for every day if you’d like to go a little further.