Advent Candles Meaning

The Advent Candle is a tradition in Christianity which celebrates the birth of Christ. It symbolizes hope and anticipation of Christ's first coming and His second coming. This is the time of year to light candles for a special reason. In addition to the tradition of lighting the candles, the Advent Candle also has a deeper meaning. Here are some of the meanings of these symbols. Read on to learn more about the meaning of advent candles.

Traditions

The Advent candle tradition is a Christian practice that involves lighting four candles on the Sundays before Christmas. Each candle represents a different aspect of Christ's first and second coming. Candles are lit on the third Sunday of Advent, and the fourth candle is lit on Gaudete Sunday, a day of celebration and rejoicing. In some countries, this tradition is still practiced today. There are many traditions of advent candles, so it is important to find out what your family practices.

Many people light a candle each Sunday, but a white candle is the traditional choice. This candle is a symbol of purity. In other traditions, the Christ candle is lit on Christmas Eve, which is a day of celebration. The meaning of each candle varies depending on the religion or denomination. But most of the candles represent the same thing: the birth of the Savior. This candle symbolizes peace and justice in the world.

Advent is a season of preparation for the coming of Christ. Using Advent candles symbolizes waiting for the arrival of Jesus, and the light he brings. The colors of the candles vary. Most Catholic households use purple candles for the first two and pink candles for the third. However, Orthodox Christians light six candles in total, one of each color. Four of these candles represent hope and expectation, and the fifth candle represents the birth of the Savior.

Symbolism

Advent candles are lit during the Christian season of Advent. They remind people of the weeks before Christmas and the arrival of the Savior, Jesus. The candles are traditionally lit with a wreath made of evergreen branches and four candles. The evergreen circle symbolizes eternal life, while the green candle represents hope. Advent candles typically contain three purple candles and one rose or pink candle. While the purple candle represents waiting, it is not penitential in the same way as the white candles used during Lent. The rose or pink candle is used on the third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete (Rejoice).

The candles used during Advent each have special meanings and symbolism. The four candles are lit in sequence, one each Sunday before Christmas. The first candle represents hope and anticipation of the birth of the Messiah. The second candle represents faith and the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. The third candle symbolizes a hope or prophecy. Finally, the fourth candle represents love and peace. The meanings and symbolism of the Advent candles are varied, but they all share common themes.

The tradition of using the four candles during Advent has many religious meanings. The candles symbolically represent the four weeks leading up to Christmas. The four candles are also symbolic of preparation for Christ's first coming. The rose candle is lit on Gaudete Sunday, the day of rejoicing in the middle of the Advent season. These symbols are important in our Christian lives. However, Advent is a new addition to the Baptist faith, and has been gaining popularity in some Baptist churches in recent decades.

Colors

Advent candles come in many colors, depending on the denomination and customs of the church. Incarnation uses white candles in its Advent wreath, while Protestant churches use three blue candles with one rose candle. The large white candle, referred to as the Christ candle, is lit on Christmas Eve. White represents hope and purity. The different colors of candles are associated with a variety of spiritual meanings. Each candle represents a different purpose.

The first Advent candle is purple and considered the prophecy candle. The second candle is the Bethlehem candle, while the fourth candle is the angel candle of love. While many Advent candles are green, the color pink is reserved for the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday in the Catholic Church. The color rose is also used during Laetare Sunday, a time of joy and renewal.

Red and green candles have different meanings. The color red represents a celebration of Christ's birth and unity among Christians. Green and white candles represent purity and faith, while gold represents kingship. The white candle also represents the birth of Christ. For Catholics, the third candle represents Gaudette Sunday, which usually comes after a period of fasting. Some traditions even use white candles as the Shepherd's candle. Regardless of the color you choose, you can't go wrong by choosing the right Advent candles.

History

The tradition of lighting the Advent wreath has its roots in Germany, where Johann Hinrich Wichern, a pastor, created an Advent wreath with small candles to count down the days to Christmas. Wichern added a white candle on Sundays and the advent wreath soon became popular. Though it took centuries before the tradition spread throughout Germany, the advent wreath was brought to the United States by German immigrants. The wreaths traditionally contain evergreens, which represent life, and holly leaves and berries signify Christ's crown of thorns.

As the tradition grew, church supply houses began to assign specific themes to candles for Advent. Themes often revolved around specific scriptures and a general theme for the season. Themes of the one-year lectionary included Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. Though the historical meaning of Advent candles is a bit more complex than a single-word theme, the tradition has a rich, varied history. The candles used in Advent are symbolic of many things, from the first coming of Christ to the birth of the Messiah.

In the Church of England, the fourth candle of Advent represents faith. This candle was traditionally lit on the third Sunday of Advent, which is known as "Bethlehem Sunday". It commemorates the trip to Bethlehem, Joseph's ancestral town. As a result, the light of this candle symbolizes the birth of Jesus Christ. Throughout the season, the Advent wreath is a symbol of preparation for the coming of Christ.

Origins

The practice of lighting advent candles has many historical roots. It is thought to have originated from the pagan traditions of pre-Germanic people. These ancient people lit candles in wreaths to bring hope for spring. Eventually, the Christian tradition incorporated the lighted wreath into the holiday season. The advent wreath is traditionally presented on an evergreen wreath that symbolizes eternal life and rebirth. However, it is unknown exactly how the tradition began.

In Europe, the Advent wreath is a Christmas decoration containing four white candles and one red candle on each Sunday leading up to Christmas. In many churches, this tradition is celebrated every Sunday and also includes a fifth white candle in the center. This custom began in homes, but is now widespread in many places of public worship. It is also practiced in other parts of the world. If you're considering lighting your own Advent wreath, there are many historical and religious reasons for doing so.

While there are many religious and cultural reasons to light the candles, they all have the same purpose: to represent the four weeks of Advent and the 4,000 years between Adam and Christ. The first candle, referred to as "Hope", represents the hope that comes with the birth of the Messiah. The second candle, referred to as "Faith", represents faith and the third candle, the "Angels Candle" symbolizes peace.

Religious significance

The lights on Advent candles are symbolic of the four weeks before Christmas, each of which represents one thousand years. This sums up to 4,000 years from the Creation of Adam and Eve until the Birth of the Savior. The dates of Creation and the birth of Jesus are known to vary by religion, but a common format is adding a verse each week. The candles are lit during church services, and often children are encouraged to light them.

These lit candles are placed in a wreath and numbered according to the Sundays before Christmas. The candles are generally purple, violet, rose, or pink. In some traditions, a fifth, white candle is placed in the middle of the wreath. The four candles are lit each night in order of their color, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent. They symbolize the coming of Christ into the world. If lit properly, the candles have religious significance.

Advent candles have more than symbolic meaning. The Bethlehem candle represents faith and love. The shepherd's candle is symbolic of joy at the birth of the Messiah. The angel's candle represents peace. The purple color of the Advent candles is meant to represent the light of Christ shining in darkness. If you have an Advent candle, it means that you have faith in the coming of the Savior. You'll be prepared for His coming by light from the candle.