By Christopher Heffron

The cherished Advent wreath is a symbol that has adorned homes and churches during the holiday season for hundreds of years. The wreath's origins date back to eastern Germany in the 16th century when Lutherans would ignite large fires in celebration of the season of Yule and to combat the burgeoning darkness of December.

Over time, the custom took on a subtler, more Christian approach with the Advent wreath. It wasn't until the mid-1900s that America first discovered the tradition when Germans, who immigrated to this country, brought with them the wreath and its sacred rituals. It has remained a fixture of our hoiliday celebration ever since.

Although the history of the Advent wreath is noteworthy, the meaning and symbolism of it carry a greater significance.

The season of Advent is a time of hopeful anticiaption for the birth of Christ. With its rounded garland and four candles, the Advent wreath is a decorative extension of that hope. The garland, which is often made from the trimmings of the Christmas tree, is shaped into a circle to symbolize the eternal God and our ongoing life. It also commemorates new life and a fresh start to the upcoming year.

The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. Three candles are purple or blue and the fourth is pink, the color of the vestments traditionally worn on the third Sunday of Advent.

The wreath is placed on a table and one candle is lit for each Sunday of Advent, until all four are radiating light, designed to welcome the birth of Jesus, the light of the world. A fifth candle, generally larger in size and white in color, may be placed in the center of the wreath and lit on Christmas morning.

Just as the early Lutherans battled cold and darkness with lights and fires, so we today battle spiritual darkness with the Advent wreath.