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In 2026, Advent begins on Sunday, November 29. The four Sundays fall on November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20, and Christmas is on Friday, December 25. That makes the fourth week a short one: the last candle burns for only a few evenings before Christmas Eve.
What do the candles mean?
The four candles stand for the four weeks of Advent. The Church's Book of Blessings describes the customary wreath as three violet candles and one rose candle, and it also allows four violet candles or four white ones. The number you light matches the week you are in. Liturgy Brisbane, the liturgy office of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, summarizes these directions from the introduction to the Order for the Blessing of an Advent Wreath. Liturgy Brisbane on the Book of Blessings
Violet is the color of Advent, a season of watchful preparation. The rose candle belongs to the Third Sunday, called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for "rejoice," the first word of that Sunday's entrance antiphon, which is taken from Saint Paul. Pope Benedict XVI explained the name this way in his Angelus address on Gaudete Sunday in 2008. Benedict XVI, Angelus, December 14, 2008
Paul's words are short enough to pray at the table that week: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, NABRE). The next verse adds, "The Lord is near." The rose candle marks that turn in the season. Preparation is still under way, but the joy of Christ's coming is close enough to see. Philippians 4 at the USCCB
You will often read that the circle stands for eternity and the evergreen for life that lasts through winter. Those are helpful family interpretations, but they are not stated in the blessing itself. The blessing prayer gives the wreath a clearer meaning: its light is a sign of Christ's promise to bring salvation, and the family asks him to come quickly. USCCB: Blessing of an Advent Wreath
Where did the Advent wreath come from?
Accounts of the wreath's origins vary, and some popular histories reach back to pre-Christian winter customs. The best-documented starting point is much more recent. In 1839, the Lutheran theologian Johann Hinrich Wichern hung a wooden wheel with candles in the prayer hall of the Rauhe Haus, his home for neglected children in Hamburg-Horn. The children kept asking how long it was until Christmas, so a new candle was lit each day: small red ones for weekdays and large white ones for Sundays. From 1860, the wheel was also decorated with evergreen branches. The familiar four-candle wreath came later, when families wanted a smaller version for their homes. Hamburg Tourism on Wichern's wreath
Wichern-style wreaths with up to 28 candles are still made today, including one displayed each year in the German Bundestag. evangelisch.de on the Wichern wreath The Catholic Church later received the custom and gave it an official blessing. It appears in Catholic churches and homes all over the world.
How to bless your Advent wreath at home
The USCCB publishes a short home blessing. It does not require a priest. Gather everyone near the wreath on the evening before the First Sunday of Advent, or on that Sunday itself, and choose a leader.
The leader begins with the Sign of the Cross and the words "Our help is in the name of the Lord," and everyone answers, "Who made heaven and earth." A family member then reads one of the suggested passages from Isaiah: chapter 9, chapter 63 or chapter 64. Isaiah 9 suits a dark winter evening well, since it begins, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light" (Isaiah 9:1, NABRE). Isaiah 9 at the USCCB
After the reading, the leader prays the blessing prayer with hands joined, and the first candle is lit. The USCCB suggests ending with a verse of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." The full text of the prayer is on the bishops' page, so you can print it or open it on a phone at the table. USCCB: Blessing of an Advent Wreath
The blessing happens once, at the start of the season. In parish churches, the Book of Blessings directs that candles on the later Sundays are simply lit, without repeating the rite. Families can follow the same pattern. Liturgy Brisbane on the Book of Blessings
A simple way to pray with it each week
Many families light the wreath at dinner, when everyone is already together. You do not need a long ritual. Light the candles for the current week, read a few verses from the coming Sunday's readings or one of the passages from Isaiah, and pray for one need in your family or neighborhood. Then let the candles burn during the meal and put them out before you leave the room.
If you would like a few words to use on weeknights, here is an original prayer written for this guide: "Lord Jesus, light of the world, we light these candles as we wait for you. Keep us watchful and kind this week, and make our home ready to welcome you. Amen."
Children can take turns lighting the candles or reading. The original Rauhe Haus wreath began as a way to answer children who wanted to know how long Christmas would take, and that is still one of its gifts. Each lit candle shows how far you have come. For other ways to bring faith into ordinary family routines, see our guide to the domestic church.
Practical questions
You do not need to buy violet and rose candles if you cannot find them. The Book of Blessings allows four violet or four white candles, so a plain wreath of white candles is fine. Real or artificial greenery both work. If you use a fresh wreath, keep the candles in sturdy holders away from dry needles, and never leave them burning unattended.
Some families add a white candle in the center on Christmas Eve. That is a household custom, not part of the blessing rite. Advent itself ends when Christmas begins, so the violet season gives way to the white and gold of Christmas.
The Advent wreath is one of the Church's sacramentals, sacred signs that prepare people to receive grace and help them pray through ordinary life. Our guide to Catholic sacramentals explains how blessed objects fit into Catholic prayer, and why Catholics light candles in church looks at the meaning of candlelight more broadly.