Candles and Advent wreaths 2024, time of preparation for Christmas

Candles and Advent wreaths are essential elements in the celebration of the Advent season 2024. The color of the candles and the crown have an important religious meaning. The lighting of Advent candles (purple, pink, green, red or white) during the four Sundays of Advent is part of the Catholic preparation for Christmas.

• 1. Advent candles and wreaths 2024
• 2. Advent 2024, time of hope and penance
• 3. Advent candles 2024, four candles for four Sundays
• 4. Preparing for Christmas 2024, meaning of the Advent wreath
• 5. Advent for boys and girls (and not so young)

Advent candles and wreaths 2024

One more year we approach Christmas, the birth of Our Lord Jesus. As every year in Religious Articles Brabander, as a store specializing in candles and Advent wreaths , we prepare ourselves to receive the light that will illuminate the world again. We carry out this conditioning during the time of Advent, a time in which we must prepare our spirit for the Birth of the Child Jesus , the central figure of Christmas.

Advent candles and Advent wreaths play a fundamental role in this spiritual preparation. Tools that we will use every Advent Sunday to prepare our body and soul for the arrival of our Savior Jesus.

Before delving into the meaning of the Advent season, and the fundamental role of the Advent wreath and Advent candles , we would like to remind you that every year, during the Advent season, with winter about to begin In the northern hemisphere, we also celebrate two important celebrations related to our mother, the Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God. The end of the year is a time of great Marian celebrations for Christians.

The first of these important appointments is on December 8. On this date we commemorate that the Virgin Mary, unlike other human beings, as the future mother of Christ, was not affected by original sin but, from the first moment of her conception, was free from all sin. It is the Immaculate Conception feast .

The second is on December 12 , the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. By celebrating this date we celebrate the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Indian San Juan Diego and his uncle Juan Bernardino in the year 1531. On this day we commemorate the Marian apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico .

Advent 2024, time of hope and penance

Advent (from the Latin word, “ad-venio”, meaning “coming or arrival”) is the celebration that marks the beginning of a new Christian Liturgical Year.   It is a time, as its name suggests, of preparation for the arrival (birth) of the Child Jesus, God made man. Advent serves as a conditioning period for Christmas, so that happiness reigns in any family as it shone in the heart of the father and mother of Jesus when they had their son.

It is a new stage of the Liturgical Year full of hope , due to the proximity of the Birth of Jesus, and of repentance for our sins and penance. The liturgical color of this season is purple as a symbol of penance. All Catholics must prepare our bodies and lives for the arrival of Christ, the Savior who will carry the word of God throughout the world.

Pope Francis, in one of his catecheses, invites all Catholics to open their hearts to the problems of others. Each person must convert solidarity and help to the less favored into one of their customs, to exercise it in an ordinary way, on a day-to-day basis, serving as an example, as a sign, of the truth of the word of God. Pray and work so that Christians who live under the sun find the solution to all their problems individually and collectively. Entrust yourself to Christ so that there are no red lines between brothers. Living a life without thinking about material resources if not about the spirituality that the coming of the Savior entails.

The season of Advent marks the beginning of a new Liturgical Year for all Catholic Christians. It is a new beginning, God becomes man to bring peace and hope to the world. Every family, every life, every man and every woman finds new beginnings bathed in the light that Christ brings to the world. The hope of a new life that will be confirmed during the Christian Christmas celebration.

Advent candles 2024, four candles for four Sundays

The season of Advent begins on the Sunday closest to November 30, the day of Saint Andrew the Apostle . The day we will light the first candle of our 2024 Advent wreath will be November 29, the first Sunday of Advent. You can check the dates and some tips on how to live this season in our 2024 Advent Calendar .

Advent spans four weeks, four Sundays. Within the religious articles for Advent, it is worth highlighting the importance of Advent candles. The four candles represent the four Sundays of Advent . Each Advent Sunday a candle is lit to commemorate the countdown to Christmas.

On the fourth Sunday of Advent all the flames will remain lit in our Advent wreath. Normally, the lighting of each of the Advent candles is usually accompanied by saying prayers or reading the Bible. By lighting the fires of the Advent candles, the arrival of light that Our Lord Jesus Christ represents is represented, the times of darkness have come to an end.

Nowadays, two color combinations are usually used: candles in the four liturgical colors or purple and pink candles (as can be seen in the photos that accompany this text).

• Advent candles in the four liturgical colors

The first, and perhaps the most popular, is the one in which four tapers or candles are placed on the crown. Each Advent candle in one of four liturgical colors , i.e. a red Advent candle, a green Advent candle, a purple Advent candle and a white Advent candle.

• Purple and Pink Advent Candles

The second option is to put three purple Advent candles and one pink Advent candle . The purple candles are lit for the first time on the first Sunday of Advent, the second Sunday of Advent and the fourth Sunday of Advent. The pink candle, which means the joy and happiness for the proximity of the Birth of the Child Jesus, will be lit on the third Sunday of Advent, the Guadete.

The option of choosing three purple candles and one pink candle is used in many churches and parishes. The reason is that the color of the Advent candles matches the color of the liturgical vestments (pink and purple girdles, pink and purple stoles, pink and purple chasubles , etc...) used during the celebrations. on Advent Sundays. In this way, a beautiful symbolism is created with the Advent candles and the ornaments. When masses are celebrated, the colors of the corresponding liturgical season are usually highlighted, creating a very emotional atmosphere.

There is also the possibility of using five Advent candles . The fifth candle will be in the center of the other four Advent candles. There are crowns that are specially designed to place the five candles.

Preparing for Christmas 2024, meaning of the Advent wreath

The four Advent candles are usually placed in a wreath known as the Advent wreath . This tradition is currently widespread in parishes and homes. Both in the Church and in the houses, they usually decorate crowns with branches and with candles that are lit progressively. It is recommended that the placement of the candles and the decorations and branches of the crowns in the homes be done with the boys and girls of the house, making this preparation a family moment, where the father and the mother take the opportunity to transmit to the children and daughters the values and teachings of the Liturgy and the Gospel.

The elaboration of the wreaths for Advent usually includes some type of green vegetation . These branches or green leaves are a reference to the hope that should be born in our hearts by the proximity of the birth of the Child Jesus, Christmas . Hope in eternal life that we will achieve with the Redemption of Jesus. And, of course, hope in almighty God, who in his immense glory and mercy, will forgive us our sins.

Advent wreaths are usually circular in shape. With this form without origin or end, the Advent wreath transmits to us the infinite love of God. It also reminds us to resemble Jesus Christ by extending his love and mercy to our neighbors.

Once all the characteristic elements have been placed, it is recommended to take the crown to a Church, Cathedral, Monastery, School... on a Liturgical day so that the priest can proceed to its blessing. In case you cannot go to any Catholic temple, you can bless yourself at home with the following prayers:

Lord God

bless our Advent Wreath with your power so that, by lighting it, it awakens in us the desire to await the coming of Christ by practicing good works, and so that, when He arrives, we may be admitted to the Kingdom of Heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

If the blessing takes place at home, it is advisable to pray as a family, with all members present. Through a family blessing the crown attains its full meaning.

The Advent candles and wreath , in addition to the Paschal Candle for Holy Week , are some of the most important liturgical consumables in any parish.

Advent for boys and girls (and not so young)

The Holy Catholic Church has always been very aware of the importance of children and young people in the celebrations that take place throughout the entire liturgical cycle. Despite the fact that in most Catholic festivities the smallest of the house have a relevant role, it could be said that in Advent and Christmas the boys and girls are the main protagonists.

The season of Advent is closely related to Christmas, with the birth of the Child Jesus. Advent is a time when both young and old, children and parents, should reflect on their lives, it is a time to look within oneself, towards our interiority, and then observe all others with brotherly love.

• The explanation of the season of Advent

Advent is a time of waiting for Christ. El Salvador is coming, it is very close. For this reason, it is very important to explain to the little ones in the house how to reflect on past events to focus our actions in the present with our hearts set on the future.

The value of the slow analysis of our actions is of great importance in the life of a person. Taking a look at the past and valuing our mistakes, faults and sins is a duty of every good Catholic. The Advent season is a time in which children should be encouraged to make a deep analysis of their actions towards themselves and others. Preparing the coming, the birth of Jesus, requires a sincere look within ourselves.

Once we have contemplated our mistakes and faults, an outward analysis is necessary. See with a view free from prejudice how we are collaborating with others to make a better world. Boys and girls will encounter difficulties in these processes of internal and external evaluation. It is recommended that adults get involved to facilitate understanding of the entire process.

• Advent calendar for children

Once the analysis and assessment is done, it is recommended that parents establish an Advent calendar for children with daily and/or weekly purposes that work as a plan during the Advent liturgical cycle. It is important that boys and girls are made to understand that the goals set must always seek to prepare the body and spirit for Christmas. The purposes must be aimed at doing penance for the sins committed, improving the relationship with oneself and with others, and filling the heart with joy and hope for Christmas. The present is the best time to work, to strive to follow the teachings of Jesus. Today is the day, now is the time. Through the sacrament of conversion they obtain God's mercy and the penitent is reconciled with the Church. Children reproduce what they see at home, so it is essential that parents lead by example.

One of the central elements of Christmas is the Holy Family, Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus. One of the most powerful symbols and one that we must keep in mind during Advent is the concept of family . For this reason it is very important that the activities carried out are as participatory as possible. Establishing the purposes of the Advent calendar should be a matter for all members of the family: parents, grandparents, uncles, children,... Each one must contribute their grain of sand, presenting their requests and wishes, so that the objectives are important , desirable, achievable and achieved.

The first few times you try to establish an Advent calendar with the young people of the house, several complications may arise. For these cases, it is advisable to use an Advent calendar that has generic recommendations and proposals that serve as a basis to start the process. The suggestions were given by Pope Francis himself to improve the preparation of children and adults for Christmas.

• Advent songs and activities for children

Once the Advent calendar has been established, it is important to carry out activities that help the children, and the other members of the family, to meet the objectives set. Children must find a motivation that helps them on a daily basis. Creativity is very important in order for the little ones in the house to get involved in achieving the desired objectives. Parents should use their ingenuity to carry out fun and educational activities: sing songs, color pictures, paint, tell a story, play games ,... that help children to pray, improve their sharing, learn about the Gospel or the Psalms and assess the importance of the Birth of Jesus in its proper measure. In Advent, learning and penance for the sins committed must be mixed with the illusion and happiness due to the proximity of Christmas. In short, parents should carry out a kind of children's and youth ministry at home, complementary to retreats, meetings at school, catechesis, etc...

There are thousands of ideas and resources to spend time with children. A large amount of material in web and physical format that can be used taking into account the peculiarities of children: their age, degree of physical and mental abilities, maturity.... It is important to do activities that motivate them to approach the Holy Trinity, to be good witnesses of the Catholic faith. We do not want to bore them, so it is essential to look for a different activity that excites them. How we do it is almost as important as how we do it. With a positive attitude we invite our young people to follow us on the path of the Lord.

For example, if the purpose of the day is to improve communication between family members, it might be a good idea to buy a basic Advent wreath and decorate it together. The crown ornamentation process can be a good opportunity to improve contact between family members. Create strong bonds within the family nucleus.

Small gifts can be given as rewards that reward positive actions and appropriate progress. It does not have to be something physical, sometimes doing a certain desired activity can be the best gift.