A sweet hush often falls over the table when the first candle on an Advent wreath is lit. The Advent wreath is a ring of evergreens with four candles, and every part of it is a reminder of Jesus. The circle stands for God’s eternity, the evergreens for life that never ends, and the growing light for Jesus coming closer each Sunday.
At The Little Rose Shop, we design Catholic items to help families live their faith at home. Once you know the Advent wreath meaning, every part of it becomes a small reminder of Jesus that even your littlest ones can see and ask about.
What Is the Meaning of the Advent Wreath?
The Advent wreath is a sign of waiting for Jesus. Each Sunday, your family lights one more candle, a sign that He is coming closer. Jesus gave us that picture Himself. In the Gospel of John (one of the four books of the Bible about His life), He says, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).
As our table fills with a little more light each week, we remember Who we’re waiting for. We look forward to His birth at Christmas, and we also look ahead to His Second Coming, when He will return at the end of time.
Each part of the wreath has its own traditional meaning, too.
| Part of the Wreath | What It Means |
|---|---|
| The circle | With no beginning or end, the circle reminds us of the eternity of God, Who has always been and always will be. |
| The evergreen branches | Because they stay green all year, evergreens are a sign of continuous life. |
| The four candles | Each candle marks one of the four weeks of Advent. |
| A white center candle (optional) | Some families add one for Christ Himself, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. |
What Do the Advent Candle Colors Mean?
Violet is Advent’s color in the Church (the color the priest wears at Mass during the season). At home, many families call it purple. Three candles on the wreath are purple, and they stand for prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices. That’s talking with God, turning away from sin and back to Him, and giving up small things out of love for Jesus. It’s all part of preparing to welcome Him.
The fourth candle is rose (some families call it pink). We light it on the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing. Its lighter color marks a day of joy in the middle of Advent, because Jesus’ birth is near.
If you can’t find purple and rose candles, four white candles are fine. The colors are a tradition, not a rule, and your family’s prayer around the wreath is the important part.
What About a White Center Candle?
Some families add a white candle in the middle and light it on Christmas Eve to celebrate that Jesus has come. It’s a more modern custom, so if you want a traditional wreath, then you only need four candles.
Where the Advent Wreath Comes From
The exact origins of the Advent wreath are uncertain. What the Church does tell us is that four candles on green branches have become a symbol of Advent in many Christian homes, especially in the Germanic countries and in North America. Today, it’s one of the most familiar Advent traditions in Catholic homes.
Lighting the candles Sunday after Sunday recalls the stages of salvation history, the long story of how God prepared His people for a Savior. Alongside a Jesse Tree, your family can hear that story one Bible passage at a time during Advent.
The growing light is also a symbol of the prophetic light, the promises God spoke through His prophets (messengers who spoke for Him). That light slowly brightens a long night until “the rising of the Sun of justice,” a title the Church gives to Jesus. When your family lights the wreath, you join God’s people in that same hopeful wait for Him.
How to Make an Advent Wreath
You can put an Advent wreath together at your kitchen table in four simple steps:
- Choose a base: Use a ring, plate, or tray that sits flat and steady on your table, so the candles won’t tip.
- Add the evergreens: Arrange evergreen branches in a full circle with no gap, since the unbroken circle is what stands for God’s eternity.
- Place the candles: Set three purple candles and one rose candle evenly around the ring, each in a sturdy candle holder. If you'd like, add a white candle in the middle for Christmas Eve.
- Keep it safe: Make sure that each flame sits well above the branches, and trim any sprigs that poke up toward the wicks. Fresh branches are less likely to catch fire than dry ones, so swap them out if they turn brittle. Put the candles out before they burn down close to the greenery, and never leave lit candles unattended.
Set the finished wreath on a purple Catholic table runner, so Advent’s color sits right under the candles. The purple runner in the Liturgical Living Table Runner Set is for Advent and Lent, and the Chi Rho in its pattern (the first two Greek letters of “Christ”) is a subtle reminder of Who we’re waiting for.
How to Light the Advent Wreath Each Sunday
Each Sunday, light the candles from the weeks before, plus one new one:
- First Sunday of Advent (November 29 in 2026): Light one purple candle.
- Second Sunday: Light the first purple candle and a second purple candle.
- Third Sunday (Gaudete Sunday): Light both purple candles and the rose candle.
- Fourth Sunday: Light all four candles, including the rose one.
- Christmas Eve (optional): If you’ve added a white center candle, light it along with the other four.
Blow the candles out when your prayer is done, and relight them the next time you gather.
On the first Sunday, many families start with the blessing for the Advent wreath, prayed that day or the evening before. It includes a reading from Isaiah, one of the prophets who promised a Savior (Isaiah 9:1-2 and 5-6, 63:16-17 and 19, or 64:2-7). The leader then asks God to make the wreath a sign of Christ’s promise of salvation.
After that, light the wreath at dinner each Sunday, right after grace (the prayer before a meal). Read that Sunday’s Gospel (the passage about Jesus’ life read at Mass that day), and pray the Our Father, the prayer Jesus taught us. If you’re praying the St. Andrew novena this Advent, you can say it at the wreath, too. If you want to dress up the candles, sign up with your email to open our Freebie Vault, and print the free Advent Candle Wraps inside.
Many families light that week’s candles every night at dinner, too, so the wreath becomes part of your evenings all through Advent.
Keep your Bible, a printed copy of the blessing, and spare candles in a Prayer Corner Caddy beside the wreath, so everything is ready when your family gathers.
Some nights, the prayer will be short and a toddler will blow out a candle early. Your family is still waiting for Jesus together, and each new flame is a sign that He is coming.
Frequently asked questions
What if we miss a Sunday?
Light the wreath on the next night your family can gather, using the candles for the week you’re in. If you miss the Third Sunday and light it on Tuesday, for example, light two purple candles and the rose one. You don’t need to get every Sunday right. Advent is about preparing your hearts for Jesus, and you can do that any night of the week.
Does a priest need to bless our Advent wreath?
No. When the blessing is prayed at home, it’s fitting for a parent or another family member to lead it. You can make the Sign of the Cross, read from Isaiah, and say the prayer yourself, and your children will see you lead your family in prayer.
Is the Advent wreath only a home tradition?
No. Many parishes set up an Advent wreath in church and light it at Mass during Advent. On Gaudete Sunday, your priest might even wear rose vestments (the robes priests wear for Mass), the same color as your rose candle.