Today Advent is the period of four weeks leading up to Christmas, dedicated to the remembrance of the anticipation of the first coming of the Messiah, and to the preparation for Christ’s expected Second Coming. Each week of Advent focuses on a different theme – hope, peace, joy, and love. Not all Christian denominations celebrate Advent, but those that do may do so in different ways. No matter what their differences are, they all focus on the anticipation of waiting for the arrival of Jesus.
When is Advent in 2025?
Each year, Advent will begin on a Sunday between November 27th and December 3rd, whichever is closest to November 30 and ends on Christmas Eve.
The Advent Sundays for 2025 are:
- November 30th, the First Sunday of Advent – with the lighting of the Candle of Hope (purple)
- December 7th, Second Sunday of Advent – with the lighting of the Candle of Peace (purple)
- December 14th, Third Sunday of Advent – with the lighting of the Candle of Joy (pink)
- December 21st, Fourth Sunday and the end of Advent on Christmas Eve – with the lighting of the Candle of Love (purple)
- Christmas Day – this fifth candle is placed in the middle of the others (center of a wreath, if used) and is lit on Christmas Day to celebrate Jesus’ birth (white)
Why an Advent Wreath:
The Advent wreath first appeared in Germany in 1839. A Lutheran minister working at a mission for children created a wreath out of the wheel of a cart. He placed twenty small red candles and four large white candles inside the ring. The red candles were lit on weekdays, and the four white candles were lit on Sundays.
Eventually, the Advent wreath was created out of evergreens, symbolizing everlasting life in the midst of winter and death. The circle reminds us of God’s unending love and the eternal life He makes possible. Advent candles are often nestled in the evergreen wreath. Additional decorations, like holly and berries, are sometimes added. Their red color points ahead to Jesus’ sacrifice and death. Pinecones can symbolize the new life that Jesus brings through His resurrection. Families begin lighting a candle on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and light another candle each subsequent Sunday.
The most common Advent candle tradition, however, involves four candles. A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Each candle represents something different, although traditions vary. The four candles traditionally represent hope, faith, joy, and peace. Often, the first, second, and fourth candles are purple; the third candle is rose-colored. Sometimes all the candles are red; in other traditions, all four candles are blue or white. Occasionally, a fifth white candle is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
From What Is Advent? The Season’s History, Meaning and Traditions https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-advent.html
