As we approach the Advent season, let's delve into the rich history behind one of our cherished church traditions: the Advent wreath. This emblem of hope and anticipation has a fascinating origin that dates back thousands of years, rooted in the winter celebrations of North Europe.
Long before Christianity, ancient Germanic people used wreaths and candles during winter festivities. They adorned evergreen trees with candles to celebrate the season and illuminate the darkness. While these traditions featured evergreens and candles, they were quite distinct from our modern Advent celebrations, separated by centuries.
The concept of the Christian Advent wreath began to take shape around the 16th century among German Lutherans, particularly in what is now northern Germany. However, variations in the wreath and its associated celebrations existed during that time.
It wasn't until the 19th century that the Advent wreath evolved into a form similar to what we recognize today. Johann Wichern, a Lutheran Pastor in Germany, developed the tradition as a way for children in his mission school to count down the days until Christmas. He crafted a sizable wreath with candles for each day leading to Christmas, along with a special larger candle for each Sunday. By the 1930s, this tradition had crossed the Atlantic to the USA, carried by German immigrants.
Today's Advent wreath typically features four large candles to be lit on each Sunday of Advent, along with a white candle for Christmas Eve. The act of lighting these candles symbolizes the increasing brightness and anticipation of Christ's imminent arrival, bearing hope, peace, joy, and love into the world.
The Advent wreath remains a central part of our spiritual preparations for Christmas. Families and congregations gather around these wreaths, lighting the candles each Sunday, reflecting on the themes they represent, and growing in anticipation of Jesus' birth.
At Hurstbourne Christian Church, we embrace this beautiful tradition and invite you to join us in lighting the Advent wreath candles every Sunday of Advent. Through this symbolic ritual, we seek to deepen our understanding of the true essence of Christmas and prepare our hearts to welcome Christ into our lives once again.
Let's journey together through this Advent season, guided by the illuminating candles on the wreath, as we eagerly await the birth of our Savior with hope and anticipation.