Having children has led me to consider what Christmas traditions we would like to start implementing around the holidays. The Christmas traditions I was raised with, though simple, always meant so much to me growing up and throughout the years. I want to create meaningful memories and traditions for my children as well. With all the busyness and consumerism that can make me feel very overwhelmed during the Christmas season, something I really want to focus on with my children is the TRUE meaning of Christmas. That is why I was drawn to the advent wreath tradition.
what is an advent wreath
An advent wreath is a tool that can be used during the season of advent (the weeks leading up to Christmas) as a guide that walks you through the story leading to the birth of Christ. Since I am an Orthodox Christian, we start the advent wreath at the beginning of the Nativity Fast on November 15th and then add a candle each Sunday until Christmas. We then light a final candle on Christmas Day. In the Orthodox tradition, there are a total of six candles around the wreath and a seventh candle in the middle to be lit on Christmas day. Each Sunday you light a candle and read the Bible readings for that day until all six candles are lit, and then of course, the final candle on Christmas day.
I love this tradition. I am a huge fan of candles, and I think light is such a beautiful and memorable tool to use. Plus, it’s exciting for the children to look forward to the readings and adding a candle each week; it helps them follow along and stay engaged with the Christmas story unfolding before them. And let’s be real, it helps us adults too! 🙂
The advent wreath is an old tradition, and while I’m sure there are many ways to create one, here are the three elements I have concluded are essential:
- The wreath should be circular as this symbolizes eternity
- The wreath should contain evergreen greenery which represents eternal life
- The wreath needs to have 5-7 (depending on Eastern or Western traditions) candles that, as we light them each week, grows our anticipation of the coming of the birth of Christ!
how to create the advent wreath
While there are many places you can purchase an advent wreath, I think it’s fun to create something yourself. I already had this small Christmas wreath that I placed in the center of our dining table. I also have a collection of brass candlesticks that I have gathered over the years which were perfect for placing around the wreath to hold the candles. In the center I placed an Orthodox icon of the Nativity and a candle glass candle to be lit on Christmas day. I also had some teal taper candles left over from our wedding that I will be using for the wreath itself.
And that’s all there is to it! You can use any type of candle holders you have on hand or there are so many you could thrift or purchase at your local store. It doesn’t need to be complicated. The goal is to guide your family through this special life-changing story of the incarnation with this simple, beautiful tool.
resources
Here are a couple of resources I have found that have more information and the readings for each Sunday during advent:
Free Advent Readings Resource Here
Booklet to Purchase with Candles
Please note: I do not make a commission off these resources. They are simply the ones I have found useful and hope you do too!
