What Is Your Christmas Tradition?

I have been a church choir director for two Methodist churches for the past 23 years. This has been a very different year in the life of the church - no Easter musical and now no Christmas musical! I would have never believed that this would ever happen. One tradition the churches that I have served has always been the Lighting of the Advent Candle. This past week we lit the candle of Hope and coming up we will light the candle of Love.

 Where did the Advent Wreath Come From?

As I was doing a bit of research about the Advent Wreath, I discovered some fun information.  According to Professor Haemig of Luther Seminary (1808-1881) a German Lutheran minister who worked at a children’s mission school created a wreath out of an old cartwheel because he was tired of the children asking, “when’s Christmas coming?” or “how many more days until Christmas?”  If you have children of your own, I am sure that you can relate. I’m inspired by this minister’s creativity!

His wreath included 20 small red candles, which would be lit every weekday, and 4 large white candles that would be lit on Sundays.  When all the candles had been lit, the next day would be Christmas.  This custom became a tradition in the Protestant churches in Europe around the 1920s and spread to North America around the 1930s. 

In today’s times, the most common Advent candle tradition involves four candles around an evergreen wreath and the Christ candle in the middle.  At our church, we light a candle for Hope, Love, Peace and Joy and on Christmas Eve all the candles are lit to remind us that Jesus is the “light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

This Christmas is going to be very different for a lot of families due to the COVID-19 virus.  Company parties and family gatherings will probably be cancelled and many family traditions may have to wait until next year.  If there was ever a time where we need Hope, the time is now!

What is your family traditions and do you plan to make new ones this year? Does your family light an Advent Wreath and have a family devotional each week?