This year we purchased an oasis ring and made our own advent wreath.
And thanks to my sweet mother and her garden, we were able to use wonderful fresh greenery.
my candles are really a burgundy/purplish red believe it or not... (purple was sold out!)
Do you know some of the symbolism behind the advent wreath and the greenery?
The Many Symbols of the Advent Wreath
The symbols of the Advent wreath should be explained to the children
to make the service more meaningful and exciting for them.
It makes certain teachings of our Faith visible, even touchable and is a very effective way to present these to children.
First of all, and most important, is the symbolism of light. The children will have surely noticed that in winter the days become shorter and the nights become longer. It should be pointed out to them that at Christmas this changes, and the days begin to get longer and the nights shorter. The progressive lighting of candles symbolizes the coming of the spiritual light of Christ into the world and anticipates the change in physical light which takes place at Christmas.
The wreath itself is round, a circle. This reminds us of the crowns worn by kings and of crowns made of laurel (bay) leaves presented to those who were victorious in the athletic games of the ancient world. It points out to us that Jesus Christ is our true King and that He is victorious over those things which would hurt us - evil, sin, and death.
The wreath, again, is circular and this is a symbol of the eternity of God, who, like a circle, has no beginning nor an end. The candles placed on the wreath remind us that in Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem, He who was eternal, the Son of God, entered into our world of time and change. (Theologians call this the “intersection of time and eternity”.
How amazing that such a profound idea can be made visible by a few branches and candles!)
Point out to the children that the differing lengths of the candles
show us the passing of time as we get nearer to Christmas.
Each candle on the wreath stands for a Sunday (and its following week) of the Advent season. Candles 1, 2, and 4 are purple. In the ancient world purple dye was very expensive and could only by afforded by kings.
The purple candles tell us that the one whose birth we are preparing to celebrate is our true King.
The rose candle (3rd Sunday) tells us that Advent is half over and Christmas is getting nearer and nearer.
Its lighter color is a symbolic anticipation of our joy when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
The Advent wreath is made of evergreens, which are symbolic of life itself and, since they last through the winter, point to God’s gift of life which comes to us even when the world is dark and threatening. Many kinds of evergreens can be used when we make the wreaths at Church. Others can be added later on at home.
Each has its own symbolic meaning.
Pine , the most common evergreen, points to Everlasting Life.
Laurel (Bay), which was used to crown those who won in the games, signifies victory.
Cedar , because it is long lasting and aromatic, is symbolic of strength and healing.
Juniper , holly, and rosemary By legend these plants provided shelter and help for the Holy Family when they fled from Bethlehem to Egypt. The fragrance of rosemary, it has been said, began when the Virgin Mary laid out the Infant Jesus’ clothes to dry on this plant. The rosemary bush responded by perfuming the Christ Child’s clothing.
Holly . Its prickly leaves remind us of the Crown of Thorns.
Its red berries remind us of the Blood of Jesus shed for us upon the Cross.
Ivy , since it is frequently used as a decoration, has always been a symbol of joy and festivity.
A sweet DESIGNING FOR THE SOUL blog reader named Jennie sent me an e-mail recently
sharing another blog (Mrs. French) featuring an advent tree her family made.
Love the look and the idea...thanks for sharing Jennie!
Did you all make an advent wreath this year?
Any other unique ideas/traditions for the advent season?
xoxo,
Caroline
