ready your wreath

Advent begins next Sunday - will you have a wreath ready? Advent is a 4-week season of waiting - a time of preparation and anticipation leading up to Christmas. Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year (more on that in a post soon to come).

According to Christine Sine, "the tradition of Advent wreaths actually began because farmers took the wheels of their wagons during the wet winter months and this became the framework for the Advent wreath. Now I am not sure that any of us would consider taking the wheels off our cars over the winter but I do think that we need to build times of rest, reflection and renewal into our schedules."

Pausing to light an advent wreath is a great way of focusing time of prayer or reflection; you can do it once a week, or every day. We put ours on the kitchen table, and light the candles every morning and evening before eating. I recommend putting it wherever the "center" of your home is.

An advent wreath can be simple (four candles in a circle around a central candle), crafty (click here for a how-to), or natural (with evergreen branches and/or a wooden base). The main idea is to have 4 candles in a circular arrangement, and to light one each week of advent (starting November 30th) - lighting another candle every week. Some people use 3 purple candles and one pink candle, then place a white "Christ" candle in the center. Depending on your tradition, the candles may have specific meanings (i.e. week 1 = hope, 2 = peace, 3 = joy, 4 = love OR 1 = prophets, 2 = bethlehem, 3 = shepherds, 4 = angels).

Check out these weekly advent wreath devotionals: united methodist or process and faith
and/or feel free to start sampling the daily devotionals to the right ----> Some of them are free printable booklets (which may be more conducive to the wreath experience).

Also, if you have children, you may enjoy creating an advent calendar in addition to a wreath. There are many creative ways to do that posted here.