Christmas isn't Christmas without...... the advent wreath
Circles stand for eternity; candles stand for light in the depths of the darkest winter; evergreen decorations stand for life in the middle of the sere and grey dead of winter and the four candles each stand in a corner of the world as a symbol of the unity of the world under God's care. The wreath stretches back to pagan times; it's another one of those great traditions from the past that Christianity appropriated and made its own.
I bought our wreath when I was first employed at a school that held a traditional Prizegiving in Liverpool Cathedral, and we have had it on our dining table every December since. Sometimes I am traditional enough to have purple candles for three Sundays and a pink one for the third Sunday (Gaudete Sunday; the week of joy) with a plain white one for Christmas Day itself.
Other years I have red candles for the Sundays and white for Christmas.
This year my daughter has worked her magic again, and brought a beautiful blue candle from Cologne. Just one, just beautiful for Christmas Day. It's lovely to have something traditional with a twist. After all, that's what Christmas should be, isn't it? A heavy dose of tradition lightened with the adjustments that are needed to suit others, or the mood, or wellness, or -like here- a gift kindly given and very much appreciated.
#chrismasisntchristmaswithout
I bought our wreath when I was first employed at a school that held a traditional Prizegiving in Liverpool Cathedral, and we have had it on our dining table every December since. Sometimes I am traditional enough to have purple candles for three Sundays and a pink one for the third Sunday (Gaudete Sunday; the week of joy) with a plain white one for Christmas Day itself.
Other years I have red candles for the Sundays and white for Christmas.
This year my daughter has worked her magic again, and brought a beautiful blue candle from Cologne. Just one, just beautiful for Christmas Day. It's lovely to have something traditional with a twist. After all, that's what Christmas should be, isn't it? A heavy dose of tradition lightened with the adjustments that are needed to suit others, or the mood, or wellness, or -like here- a gift kindly given and very much appreciated.
#chrismasisntchristmaswithout
Ours has three purple, one pink for the third Sunday and a white for Christmas day. Sometimes they have been all gold if I couldn't get purple. It is a good thing to do isn't it. xx
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of gold! It is a good tradition; the children used to love eating by candlelight and watching it get stronger as the weeks went by.
DeleteI think you're right, it's good to have tradition but you don't have to be too set, a little twist here and there is good.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely advent display & lucky you having such a thoughtful daughter x
ReplyDelete