Advent candle lighting is basically all about celebrating the holiday season.
Making an advent wreath can be a lovely way to begin the Christmas season if you love the art and craft of candle making as well as Christmas.
Decorated Advent Candle
The word advent in Latin, means “the coming.”
It is a time for spiritual reflection.
As well as cheerfulness and anticipation of Christmas.
It begins on the Sunday nearest November 30.
This is the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle, and lasts four Sundays.
Advent candle lighting is a wonderful ritual that lets us know the Christmas season is on its way.
The advent wreath is made from evergreens to symbolize the continuation of life.
This has four candles in it.
Three purple candles and one rose candle.
To make your wreath you can gather greens form your yard plus pine cones where you find evergreen trees shedding the branches that will form your wreath.
Go to the florist and purchase some florist wire and a Styrofoam circle which is quite cheap.
You can then wind all the greens into the Styrofoam circle that will become your wreath.
The purple candles represents hope and peace while the rose candle represnts love and joy.
In the four weeks of the advent to Christmas:
- Light one purple candle the first week
- Two purple candles the second week
- Three purple candle the third week
- All four candles on the fourth week.
The lighting of the candles is progressive and leads up to Christmas week by week.
The lighting of the candles can be accompanied by readings or prayers.
Often the lighting of the candle is before dinner or right after sunset and is a lovely ritual for reflection and giving thanks.
To make the candles for your wreath purchase some tapered candle molds from your local craft store, plus some purple and pink dye sachets and wicks.
You might like to make double the amount of candles you think you will need just in case you end up lighting the candles for a longer time at night.
This will give you a gentle and beautiful atmosphere, much like your ancestors would have experienced.
To make the candles you will need a pouring pot and the wax of your choice.
Simply melt the wax in the boiler, add the color for the purple candles and pour into your molds.
After cleaning the double boiler, melt the wax for pink candle and add the pink dye to the wax.
You might also like to add rose essential oil for a lovely uplifting scent as rose is one of the flowers known to symbolise love.
As the candles cool in their molds leave them for a few hours to take to the shape of the mold and then gently lift out to have ready to make your advent wreath.
Enjoy and have fun!
