Wednesday, 09 December 2009
Advent Artifacts - the Calendar, the Wreath and the Christingle
Today I want to look at some things we associate with this Advent season, and the reasons for why we have them. Let's start with the Advent Calendar. Do you have one? If you do, I'll bet it's got chocolate in it - mine does.
So, where did the Advent Calendar originate from? Well, the custom of counting down the days of Advent was initiated by German Lutherans. Sometime at the beginning of the 19th Century, possibly even earlier, they began drawing a chalk line on the door to mark each each day. Apparently, they started counting from December 1st, although for Christians Advent can start earlier than that - the first Sunday of Advent is between November 27 and December 3. Gradually, families came up with more elaborate ways to mark the days, such as lighting candles or hanging little religious pictures on the wall.
In 1851, the first Advent Calendar was handmade (or so the Internet tells me). It is believed that the first printed Advent Calendar was produced at the beginning of the 20th Century by a Swabian parishioner called Gerhard Lang. He continued this practice, creating at least 30 designs until the 1930s, when his company went out of business. During World War II, production of Advent Calendars was stopped, in order to save paper, but was reinstated by Richard Sellmer of Stuttgart after the war ended, and grew in popularity from then on.
Let's look at another way to mark Advent, used mostly in churches: the Advent Wreath. These are round candle holders, often decorated with branches from evergreens. They hold four candles around the edge which are lit, one at a time, on each Sunday. In my experience these are red, but I have heard of some churches that use purple candles and one pink (relating to the colour of the robes worn by clergy on those Sundays, I think). And in the centre is a white candle, representing Jesus, that is lit on Christmas Day.
In Europe, the evergreen wreath was in use before Christianity spread in that continent. However, the Advent wreath is not believed to have existed before the 19th Century. It is believed that a Protestant pastor called Johann Hinrich Wichern invented it, and his first Advent wreath actually held 19 small red candles and 4 large white ones. Children at a mission school he founded would ask if it was Christmas yet, and this was how he taught them to count down until the actual day: one small candle was lit every weekday, with the larger ones lit, one at a time, on Sundays.
This custom grew and evolved in Germany until it became more like what we know today. You can also get very large candles with the days numbered on it, to burn throughout the Advent period, which can be used at home. Advent candle wreaths are mainly seen in churches, and nowadays, the candles are only lit during the service; each Sunday the previously-lit candles are relit before lighting the new candle. A short reading or meditation often accompanies the lighting of the candles, though this does not happen in my current church, and it is a tradition I miss.
There are themes for each Sunday. These seem to differ from church to church, but in my experience they are usually based on certain people or certain themes: on the first Sunday of Advent, it is common to be told about the Prophets, or dwell on the subject of Hope; on the second Sunday, John the Baptist or the theme of Peace is discussed; on the third Sunday it is time for Mary, Mother of Jesus, or Love (if the purple and pink candles are used, this is the Sunday to light the pink one); and on the fourth Sunday the topic is either God's people or Joy. However, the order can differ, and everyone seems to cite tradition as the reason why their order is preferred.
There's one last Advent Symbol I want to talk about now: the Christingle. What a strange object! The word "Christingle" simply means "Christ Light" but this is no ordinary candle holder! I remember Christingle services s a child, and think these are a great way to explain to children why Christmas is so important.
This custom began in the Moravian Church in Germany, allegedly as part of a Christmas Children's Festival on December 24th, 1747. Wikipedia tells the story that a German Pastor called Johannes de Wattville came up with the idea of the Christingle as he tried to think of a way to explain the love of Jesus and the meaning of Christmas to the children in his church.
The Christingle became very popular in the Moravian Church and spread to other countries. It wasn't until 1968, however, that John Pensom of the Children's Society introduced Christingle Services to the Anglican Church in the UK.
So, what does it all mean? Well, simply this:
- the orange symbolises the world;
- the red ribbon around the middle stands for the blood of Christ, which was shed for all our sins;
- the four cocktail sticks/skewers represent either the four corners of the Earth (that is, North, East, South & West) or the four seasons;
- the fruit and/or sweets on the skewers are God's gifts to us or the fruits of the Spirit;
- and the candle in the centre of it all symbolises Jesus, the Light of the World.
I hope that's explained a few Advent traditions to you. I like to know the origins of such customs, but it is important that such details do not detract from the importance of Advent: don't forget that these calendars and wreaths are counting down to a very special day! We are preparing to celebrate the birth of our Saviour!
God bless!
