How to use an advent wreath: candles, colours and meaning
Four candles, four Sundays and an optional fifth for Christmas: what the ring, the evergreens and each colour stand for, and how to light an advent wreath week by week in 2026.
An advent wreath is a ring of evergreens holding four candles, one lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Many wreaths add a fifth, white candle in the centre for Christmas itself. In 2026 the first candle is lit on Advent Sunday, 29 November, and the fourth on 20 December. Below: what the wreath and each colour mean, the order to light the candles, and how to choose, make and use one safely.
What does an advent wreath mean?
Every part of the wreath carries a meaning. The ring has no beginning and no end, so it stands for eternity and God’s unending love. The evergreens stay green through winter and stand for eternal life. The candles stand for the light of Christ coming into the world, and there are four because Advent has four Sundays.
- 1839the first modern advent wreath, in Hamburg
- 4candles, one for each Sunday of Advent
- 29 Nov 2026Advent Sunday, when the first candle is lit
- 1964Blue Peter’s advent crown of coat hangers and tinsel
Where the advent wreath comes from
Johann Hinrich Wichern, a Lutheran pastor, made the first modern advent wreath in 1839 for the many children at the Rauhes Haus in Hamburg. He fixed candles to the wooden ring of an old cartwheel, one for each day of Advent up to Christmas Eve: small red ones for Monday to Saturday and a large white one for each Sunday. German Protestant churches took up the custom and shrank it to the four or five candles used today. Catholics in Germany adopted it in the 1920s, and it reached North America in the 1930s.
British children met a home-made version on television: in 1964 an advent crown made from wire coat hangers and tinsel appeared on the BBC children’s programme Blue Peter.
Advent candle colours and what they mean
The colours follow the church year, so they vary from one church to another. In the Catholic Church violet or purple is the colour of Advent, and on the third Sunday rose may replace it.
| Colour | Where it is used | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Purple or violet (3 candles) | Catholic and many Anglican churches | Preparation and penitence, the mood of Advent |
| Pink or rose (1 candle) | Catholic and many Anglican churches, on the third Sunday | Joy at the midpoint of Advent, with Christmas close |
| Blue (instead of purple) | Some Lutheran churches, following a 1978 Lutheran service book | The preferred Advent colour there, with purple kept as an option |
| Red (4 candles) | Many Protestant churches in the UK | The traditional colour of Christmas decorations |
| White (centre candle) | Wreaths with a fifth candle, lit at Christmas | Christ; white is the festal colour of the Western Church |
Why one advent candle is pink
The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin for “rejoice”, the first word of the opening chant of that day’s Mass, taken from Philippians 4:4. Rose vestments may be worn instead of violet, and the rose candle is lit with two purple ones. The Church of England parish of Holy Trinity, Gosport, explains it the same way: pink marks the midpoint of Advent, just as it marks Mothering Sunday halfway through Lent. In 2026, Gaudete Sunday falls on 13 December.
Which colours to use at home
Outside church there is no rule to follow. Four red candles follow the custom of many Protestant churches in the UK, while purple and pink follow Catholic and much Anglican practice. Our advent candles and wreaths collection has purple and pink sets, red pillars and ready-made holder rings.
What each advent candle stands for
Churches name the candles in different ways. A common scheme today is hope, peace, joy and love, though the order varies. Another names them after the prophets, Bethlehem, the shepherds and the angels, and Anglican parishes such as Holy Trinity, Gosport, use the patriarchs, the prophets, John the Baptist and Mary.
| Candle | Lit in 2026 | Colour | Theme | Also called | Anglican scheme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday 29 November | Purple | Hope | Prophets’ candle | The patriarchs |
| 2 | Sunday 6 December | Purple | Peace | Bethlehem candle | The prophets |
| 3 | Sunday 13 December | Pink | Joy | Shepherds’ candle | John the Baptist |
| 4 | Sunday 20 December | Purple | Love | Angels’ candle | Mary |
| Centre | Christmas Eve or Christmas Day | White | Christ | Christ candle | Christ |
How to light an advent wreath, week by week
Light one new candle each Sunday and relight the ones already lit, so the wreath grows brighter as Christmas comes closer.
- First Sunday of Advent (29 November 2026): light one purple candle.
- Second Sunday (6 December): relight it and light a second purple candle.
- Third Sunday (13 December): relight both purple candles and light the pink one.
- Fourth Sunday (20 December): light all four.
- Christmas Eve or Christmas Day: light all four and the white candle in the centre.
Which candle to light first
No rule says which purple candle comes first. Place the candles so that, going round the ring in one direction, they run purple, purple, pink, purple, and keep to that direction each week. If they differ in height, start with the tallest, since the first candle burns on all four Sundays.
Sundays only or every evening?
In church the candles are lit on Sundays, often with a Bible reading and prayers. At home many families light the wreath at the evening meal, and some do so every day. Then the first candle burns more than five times as long as the fourth.
| Candle | Sundays only | Every evening for 30 minutes, to Christmas Eve 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (from 29 November) | 4 lightings | 26 evenings, 13 hours |
| 2 (from 6 December) | 3 lightings | 19 evenings, 9.5 hours |
| 3 (from 13 December) | 2 lightings | 12 evenings, 6 hours |
| 4 (from 20 December) | 1 lighting | 5 evenings, 2.5 hours |
After Christmas Day
The white candle does not have to go out on Boxing Day. It may be lit through the Christmas season and on into Epiphany, so the wreath can stay on the table until the decorations come down; our guide to the twelve days of Christmas sets out the dates.
Advent wreath or advent candle?
In the UK, “advent candle” can also mean a single candle marked with the days of December up to Christmas Eve. It is burnt down to the next mark each day, usually at the evening meal, so it counts days where a wreath counts Sundays. The custom seems to have started in Germany and is now widespread in Britain.
Choosing candles for an advent wreath
- Fit: measure the cups or spikes on your ring before you buy, because tapers and pillars come in different widths.
- Burn time: lit every evening for 30 minutes, the first candle needs about 13 hours; lit on Sundays only, almost any candle lasts.
- Scent: advent candles are often unscented, so four flames at the dinner table do not compete with the food.
- Colour: three purple and one pink, four red, or four white with a white centre candle.
- Height: a graded set (one set in our range runs 12, 10, 8 and 6 cm) lets you light the tallest first, so the four end the season closer to level.
Purple and pink sets and red pillars sit alongside scented and flameless candles in our Christmas candles range.
Vermont Christmas Company
Traditional Advent candle set, 3 purple and 1 pink, 25.4 cm tall
Vermont Christmas Company
Advent taper candles in purple, pink and white, set of 5, 25.4 cm
How to make an advent wreath
You need a base, evergreens, four candle holders and four candles, plus a fifth for the centre if you want one.
- Base: a ready-made wreath laid flat, a moss or vine ring, a wire frame, or a floral foam ring soaked in water before you start.
- Greens: fir for its scent, with holly, ivy or rosemary tucked in. Keep the foliage well below the candle tops.
- Holders: candle spikes or cups pushed firmly into the base and spaced evenly round the ring, so each candle stands upright.
- Candles: four in your chosen colours, plus a white pillar on a saucer in the centre for a Christ candle.
- Decoration: a ribbon or a few pine cones. Catholic tradition favours a plain advent wreath and keeps the full decoration for Christmas.
For the wiring and moss method step by step, follow our guide on how to make a Christmas wreath and lay the finished ring flat. A ready-made ring with four or five cups saves the work: see the holders in our advent wreath collection.
Advent wreath safety
A wreath puts open flames in the middle of foliage that dries out in a heated room. In the three years to December 2022, London Fire Brigade attended almost 200 candle-related fires in December and January, and it warns that a dried-out Christmas tree can spread flames in seconds.
- Stand the wreath on a heat-resistant tray, on a stable surface where it cannot be knocked over.
- Keep it away from curtains, the tree and other decorations.
- Never leave the candles burning in an empty room, and blow them out properly before bed.
- Take particular care with children and pets.
- Replace a candle before it burns down to the level of the greenery.
For a wreath that can glow all evening, the Brigade suggests battery-powered LED candles, which stay safe even if you fall asleep. Flameless pillars and tea lights, several with timers, are in our LED candles collection, part of our wider candles and scents range.
Frequently asked questions
What does an advent wreath symbolise?
The ring, with no beginning or end, stands for eternity and God’s love. The evergreens stand for eternal life, and the candles for the light of Christ coming into the world. There is one candle for each of the four Sundays of Advent.
Should an advent wreath have 4 or 5 candles?
Four is the core: one for each Sunday of Advent. A fifth, white candle in the centre is optional and is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Some Eastern Orthodox families use six, for their longer fast before Christmas.
What is the correct order to light advent candles?
One purple candle on the first Sunday, a second purple on the second Sunday, the pink one on the third and the last purple on the fourth, relighting the earlier candles each time. In 2026 that means 29 November, then 6, 13 and 20 December, with the white centre candle at Christmas.
What does the pink advent candle mean?
Joy. It is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, named after the Latin word for “rejoice”. Rose vestments may replace violet that day, and the rose candle marks the midpoint of Advent. In 2026 it falls on 13 December.
What colour does the Catholic Church use for Advent?
Violet or purple, the colour of the Advent season. On the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, rose may be worn instead. That is why a Catholic advent wreath usually has three purple candles and one rose candle, with white kept for Christmas.
What do red advent candles mean?
Red candles follow the traditional colour of Christmas decorations rather than the church’s Advent colours. Four red candles are common in Protestant churches in the UK, and at home they suit a red and green scheme. The order of lighting is the same: one more candle each Sunday.
When do you light the first advent candle?
On Advent Sunday, the fourth Sunday before Christmas: 29 November in 2026, 28 November in 2027 and 3 December in 2028. Advent Sunday always falls between 27 November and 3 December, so Advent lasts 22 to 28 days, counting Christmas Eve.
Is an advent candle the same as an advent wreath?
No. An advent candle is a single candle marked with the days of December up to Christmas Eve, burnt down one mark a day. An advent wreath holds four candles, with one more lit on each Sunday of Advent.
