The Advent Wreath is a Christian symbol that the Catholic Church promotes as a privileged means to enliven the spirit of waiting and preparing for Christmas.
Sense: to have light, hope, and joy
The so-called “Crown of Advent lights” must always be a sign of joyful hope; she remembers that light will make its way in the midst of darkness and that life will triumph over death. That light is none other than God-made-man, Jesus Christ, the light of the world, who stoops down to walk among us and give us, with the giving of his life, the possibility of a fuller and more authentic life.
We know that where there is light, fear dissipates, and we can light the way and see our steps; the light congregates us because we can see the face of whoever is next to us.
By lighting, week by week, the four candles of the crown we will gradually approach the fullness of Christmas light.
History
Since ancient times, in Europe, houses have been filled with candles or candles during the winter, whose days are usually shorter. In pre-Christian times, this practice was also carried out with the intention of honoring the sun, the sol invictus (“the unconquered sun”, or sun god) who eagerly awaited every morning to illuminate and warm, until seeing it shine victorious in summer days.
This custom, deeply rooted in the days of late Rome, was later accepted by Christian missionaries and evangelizers, who found it very appropriate to signify the mystery of Christ’s coming into the world, to meet the expectant creation.
Later, between the 18th and 19th centuries, in Germany, the custom of decorating homes with garlands made of leaves and small branches of green pine spread in the days before Christmas. The particularity of pine leaves and other plants of the fir family is that they keep their colors alive even under winter conditions in the northern hemisphere. The tradition of the garlands had passed from the Catholic and Protestant temples to take root as a custom in the houses of Christian families.
Over time, Catholics linked the symbol of the garlands with that of light, and these with the liturgical season of Advent, which consists of 4 Sundays, finally represented by four candles or candles on the crown. It is important that we do not overlook the blessing of the crown, when possible, because this underscores its religious significance.
The Advent Wreath is made up of a wide variety of symbols:
The Round Shape
The circle has no beginning or end. It is a sign of God’s love that is eternal, that is, without beginning or end. Our love for God and our neighbor must seek to be the same: forever.
Green Branches
Green is the color of hope and life, and God is God of the living and not of the dead. He wants us to expect grace from him, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal glory from him at the end of existence. The most important desire in our lives must be to always “reverd” through close union with God, our Father.
The Four Candles
They make us think of the darkness caused by sin that blinds man and distances him from God. After the first fall of man, God gradually nurtured the hope of salvation. That hope was illuminating the universe as the crown candles illuminate the place. Just as the darkness dissipates with each candle we light, history became increasingly clearer until the arrival of Christ.
There are four candles that are placed in the crown and that are lit, one by one, during the four Sundays of Advent in the framework of family prayer. The first three are purple and are lit on the first, second and fourth Sundays. Among the candles there must be a pink one that is lit on the third Sunday, known as Gaudete or ‘joy’ Sunday. This Sunday has a special meaning associated with the awareness of growing joy because the Lord is getting closer.
Other Symbols:
Sometimes red apples or wood-colored or reddish nuts are also placed on the crown to represent the fruits of the Garden of Eden, recalling Adam and Eve. They brought sin into the world, but then received the promise of the Universal Savior.
It is possible to place a red ribbon running around the outline of the garland, or put as a bow. This represents our love for God and the love of God that surrounds us.