Color Your World This Advent
Lighting candles during Advent is a ritual with origins that date back to the Middle Ages, but the tradition of the Advent wreath as we know it today was conceived years later — in the early 1800s by a Protestant pastor named Johann Hinrich Wichern, who was known for his mission work among the urban poor.
We are all familiar with the Advent Candles and what each one represents: three purple or blue candles, symbolizing hope, peace, and love; one pink candle, signifying joy; and a fifth candle, which is white, touting the purity of Christ.
In addition to the Advent candles, there are several other colors associated with Christmas — some sacred, some secular. Here at Oak Chapel, we have a long history of wearing a designated color on each of the four Sundays in Advent leading up to the arrival of the Christ child.
Believe it or not, I could not find a definitive answer regarding the meanings of each of these colors, despite repeated Google searches, so I have taken the liberty of drawing some conclusions of my own, which you are free to accept or refute.
The first Sunday of Advent features the color Green, which represents a fresh start and a commitment to growth. The second week we wear the color Purple, which is often associated with penitence and sorrow. The third week we switch to red, most likely in honor of the redeeming blood of Christ. The fourth week is blue, symbolic of solemnity and reverence. And finally, at our Christmas service, we celebrate with the purity of white and the royalty of gold.
Christmas is all about colors, so be sure to wear yours this Advent season, beginning this Sunday by sporting some article of clothing — shirt, blouse, sweater, tie, etc. — with the color green, marking the beginning, or a renewal, of a relationship with Christ