Terra's Garden
Monthly Column by Terra Hangen

Advent season is a time when not much needs to be done in our gardens, and making an Advent wreath with a few boughs cut from your evergreen trees can bring a festive and religious touch to your indoor decorating. Christians enjoy the beauty and symbolism of advent wreaths in church and this year may be the time to create one for your home, where it will become a tradition your family will treasure.

Advent means “coming” or “arrival”, and while the origin of the Advent wreath and its candles is not clearly recorded, by 1600 churches in Europe were incorporating this tradition in their services. The light of the candles, blazing forth at this darkest time of year, correlates to Christ being the light that came into the world, as described in John 3:19-21. 

Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas; and the Advent wreath will require 4 or 5 candles, candle holders, and a wreath to lay flat on a table. The candles are typically 3 purple or blue and 1 pink candle, and many people also use a white candle to be lighted on Christmas morning or Christmas eve. 

A flat disc of Styrofoam about 20 inches across can be purchased in any hobby supply store. You can buy lots of plastic pine boughs (called pine picks in some hobby shops) and stick them in the Styrofoam base. If you use fresh pine branches, you can buy an oasis wreath form, soak it, place it on a large plate to protect your table, cut short spikes of greens, sticking them in the oasis, and water the oasis base throughout December. Evergreens or ever green symbolize “ever alive”; both eternal God, and Christ coming to offer us eternal life.  

Encourage your family to add some creative touches to the wreath, like berries from yard bushes, small pine cones, tiny ornaments, strings of beads, wire ribbons and tinsel. You may want to plan ahead for next year’s wreath, and plant a holly bush, or pyracantha bushes for their bright red berries which are ideal for wreaths. For the sake of safety, only light the candles and let them burn while you are gathered around the wreath, and blow the candles out after the Scripture reading. 

Let your family all be involved in lighting candles and reading the suggested Bible verses, and the advent candle lighting will be an event they eagerly await. One way to proceed is to have the youngest child light the first candle, and the eldest child light the final candle, with other people taking turns lighting the second through fourth candles. 

The first Sunday in Advent light a purple candle, the Candle of Hope. Some families substitute blue candles for purple. Suggested reading: Isaiah 60:2-3. Romans 15:12-13.

The second Sunday light the first candle and a second purple candle, the Candle of Preparation. Suggested reading: Luke 3:4-6, Mark 1:4-8. 

The third Advent Sunday light the first two candles and the Candle of Joy, which can be pink or purple. Suggested Reading: Luke 2:8-14. 

The fourth Advent Sunday light the first three candles and the last purple candle, the Candle of Love.  Some traditions light the pink candle on the fourth Sunday, to signify joy at Christ’s nativity. Suggested Reading: John 3:16-21. Isaiah 9:6-7. 

The fifth candle is optional, and is white and called the Christ Candle, and is lighted on Christmas morning or Christmas eve. Suggested Reading: John 1:29 and Psalm 100.

About the Author: For more of Terra Hangen's garden tidbits, fun garden photos of her black squirrel friend, tips for beginning writers, and a glimpse into her own journey as a writer visit her blog at http://terragarden.blogspot.com. She is celebrating the publication of her first book, Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, written with 6 Christian writer friends, and scheduled for publication Oct. 2008 by Leafwood Publishers.