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The Advent wreath – a sign that Christmas is near
The Advent wreath is a very important symbol in the Christmas season, for many Christians, especially in the traditional or mainline churches.
A group of Catholics in New Amsterdam gather around the wreath to light the first candle and recite special prayers during Mass.
The wreath, or Advent crown, is a Christian tradition that symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western church. It is traditionally a Lutheran practice, but has spread to many other Christian denominations.
It is usually a horizontal evergreen wreath with four candles and often, a fifth, a white candle in the centre.
Beginning with the First Sunday of Advent, the lighting of a candle can be accompanied by a Bible reading and prayers. An additional candle is lit during each subsequent week until, by the last Sunday before Christmas, all four candles are lit. Many Advent wreaths include a fifth, Christ candle which is lit at Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The custom is observed both in family settings and at public church services.
The ring or wheel of the Advent wreath of evergreens decorated with candles was a symbol in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity. The circle symbolized the eternal cycle of the seasons while the evergreens and lighted candles signified the persistence of life in the midst of winter.
Some sources suggest that the wreath—now reinterpreted as a Christian symbol—was in common use in the Middle Ages, others that it was established in Germany as a Christian custom only in the 16th century.
This symbol has been ‘catching on’ in the Guyanese celebrations of Christmas and has been adorning some position in many churches, especially the traditional churches.
In New Amsterdam, the Catholics have positioned their Advent wreath on the sanctuary of the church. It is beautifully decorated and has five candles; three purple, one pink and a white candle, in the centre, the Christmas Candle.
Over the past four weeks, a new candle is lit, and special prayers are said. This is all in anticipation of the coming of Christmas. Then, on Christmas Eve night, during Midnight Mass, the fifth and final candle—the most important candle, the one in the centre, the white candle, is lit, signaling the official beginning of the Christmas cycle on the church calendar.
The Advent wreath is just one of many symbols that reminds Christians that we are approaching the Christmas season, one of the most joyful and special seasons for Christians.
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