The Advent season is a four-week period in the Christian calendar that prepares people for Jesus Christ's birth at Christmas, while also pointing ahead to his promised return. Each Sunday of the season traditionally spotlights a key theme--like hope, love, joy or love-- to invite reflection, prayer, and expectant celebration.
Advent Wreath
The Advent wreath's circular shape symbolizes God's unending life (Ps. 90:2; Ps. 102:24-27). Lying flat, it supports four colorful (usually pink or purple) candles, each representing one of four focused Advent themes, such as hope, peace, joy, or love.
Participants traditionally dedicate time each Sunday during Advent to meditate on that week's theme while also lighting candles. On the first week, they light one candle. On the second, they light two. And this continues until all four weeks have passed.
Then, on Christmas Eve, they light a fifth candle at the wreath's center. Often white in color and sometimes called the "Christ candle," its flame symbolizes God's light entering our dark world through the birth of Jesus (see John 1:5-9; John 8:12)