Advent Candles

Candles are a traditional part of the observation of the Christian liturgical season of Advent. Many times, Advent candles are placed within an evergreen Advent wreath and lit on each of the four Sundays during the devotional period before Christmas. Advent candles can be purchased online or in retail stores - they can then be arranged into beautiful Advent wreaths to celebrate the Advent season.

This page provides historical information about Advent candles, along with links to places where they can be purchased.

In a traditional Advent wreath, there are four candles. Three of the candles are purple and a fourth is rose-colored, or pink. The purple candles are lit on the first, second and fourth Sundays of Advent. The rose-colored candle is lit on the third Sunday, marking Advent's midpoint. Some Advent wreaths have a fifth white candle in the center, called the "Christ candle." The Christ candle is often lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071201/news_1c01advent.html http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0132.html

Each Advent candle has a specific meaning. The first candle, the "Candle of Hope," is said to represent hope in Christ. The second candle is "The Candle of the Way." It represents how Christ shows the way to divinity. The third candle is the "Candle of Joy," symbolizing Christ's eternal joy. The fourth candle, the "Candle of Peace," represents how Christ came to bring peace on earth. The fifth candle is "The Christ Candle," which represents the embodiment of Christ himself.http://protestantism.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_meaning_of_advent