SUMMARY:
The Advent Wreath Candle Lighting Ceremony, originating from a 19th-century Lutheran tradition, has become an integral part of the Advent season in many Catholic churches.
• Historical Origins: The Advent Wreath was created by Johann Hinrich Wichern, a Lutheran pastor in 1839, to help children count down to Christmas by lighting candles on a wooden ring.
• Adoption by Catholic Tradition: Initially a Lutheran practice, the Advent Wreath was incorporated into Catholic liturgy in the early 20th century, influenced by ecumenical sharing and liturgical renewal movements.
• Private Devotion and Liturgical Concerns: The Catholic Church views the Advent Wreath as a private devotion, not a liturgical necessity, and there are concerns about it overshadowing the core elements of the Mass.
Most Germans and North Americans cannot remember a time when the Advent Wreath Candle Lighting Ceremony was not part of their Catholic Mass experience during the Advent Season. It has become so ingrained in the liturgical milieu of the season that many take it for granted this disruption in the liturgy is the fruit of Martin Luther’s heresy.
The Origin Story
The practice began in Germany in the 19th century and was attributed explicitly to Johann Hinrich Wichern, a Lutheran pastor and missionary. Working with children in a mission school in Hamburg, Wichern sought a way to help them count down the days until Christmas. In 1839, he created a large wooden ring adorned with 24 small red and four large white candles. Each day, a small candle was lit, while on Sundays, a large candle was illuminated. This practice helped the children mark the passage of time and anticipate the celebration of Christ’s birth.
As time passed, the Advent wreath evolved. The number of candles was reduced to four, each representing one of the four Sundays of Advent. The wreath, typically crafted from evergreen branches, symbolizes eternal life and the unending love of God. The candles, often three purple and one pink, represent hope, peace, joy, and love. The pink candle is lit on the third Sunday, known as Gaudete Sunday, symbolizing joy.
Initially embraced within Lutheran households across Germany, the Advent wreath’s symbolic power soon caught the attention of the clergy. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Lutheran churches began incorporating the wreath into their liturgical ceremonies. The wreath was placed prominently in sanctuaries, and the lighting of the candles became a ritual moment within the service, often accompanied by specific prayers, scripture readings, and hymns that highlighted the themes of Advent.
The Insertion into Catholic Liturgy
The Advent wreath entered Catholic liturgical tradition somewhat later. While Catholics in German-speaking regions were familiar with the wreath through cultural osmosis, it wasn’t until the early to mid-20th century that the practice gained official liturgical acceptance. Several factors contributed to this adoption: the spirit of ecumenical sharing of traditions among Christian denominations and the broader spirit of the liturgical renewal movement within the Church, which sought to make the liturgy more accessible, participative, and meaningful.
By the 1950s and 1960s, the Advent wreath had become a familiar sight in Catholic churches in Europe and North America. The Roman Catholic Church provided guidelines on its use (Cf. Book of Blessings (De Benedictionibus): Chapter 47 “Order for the Blessing of an Advent Wreath”) to try to curb any abuse in which the Advent Wreath overshadowed core elements of the Mass. The candles’ colors sometimes varied—with some traditions using four purple candles or three purple and one rose-colored candle—each aligning with the respective Sunday’s themes and readings.
Private Devotion vs. Liturgical Inculturation
In its 2001 Director on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principes and Guidelines, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments delineates the Advent Wreath as a private devotion rather than a liturgical one, stating:
The Advent Wreath
98. Placing four candles on green fronds has become a symbol of Advent in many Christian homes, especially in Germanic countries and North America.
The Advent wreath, with the progressive lighting of its four candles, Sunday after Sunday, until the Solemnity of Christmas, is a recollection of the various stages of salvation history prior to Christ’s coming and a symbol of the prophetic light gradually illuminating the long night prior to the rising of the Sun of justice (cf. Ml 3,20; Lk 1,78).
The Critique of the Advent Wreath in the Liturgy
While the Advent Wreath has become a cherished symbol in many households, its origins and integration into Catholic tradition remain subjects of reflection. Although I would never personally adopt the Advent Wreath for private devotion due to its origins, I do appreciate its potential for catechesis, especially in instilling anticipation for the coming of Christ in children. However, I hold reservations about its presence during the Mass, where our minds, bodies, souls, and strength ought to be wholly directed toward the divine presence. The Advent Wreath is not a sacred sign of God’s presence.
The Advent Wreath’s origins within Catholic tradition are neither ancient nor sacrosanct. Yet, this does not preclude its incorporation into the Catholic Mass. It stands alongside other revered local and cultural traditions such as the Christmas Tree (Germany), the Nativity Display (Italy), Las Posadas (Mexico), Simbang Gabi (Philippines), the Easter Fire and Paschal Candle (Northern Europe), the Blessing of Throats on St. Blaise’s Day (Armenia), Day of the Dead Altars (Mexico), Liturgical Dance (Africa and Asia), and the Blessing of Thanksgiving Day Bread (United States).
These seasonal traditions undoubtedly enrich the liturgy, yet they must not divert attention from the immutable essence of the Mass, which is Christ Himself. The novelty of these customs can inadvertently draw more focus than intended, as human nature tends to gravitate towards the unusual. While beneficial for catechesis, this heightened attention risks overshadowing the central mystery of the liturgy. Moreover, despite the Church’s guidelines designed to safeguard against such distractions, liturgical abuses persist, often as common as the disregard for traffic laws in bustling cities like Las Vegas, Nevada, and Delhi, India.
