This year something fortuitous has happened. Advent begins on December 1, and that is a much more tidy day than it has been in many years past. Advent ends on December 24. Therefore, in the year of 2024, Advent takes place during the first 24 days of December. I think that is special

Many years ago, I taught art at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, and before Christmas, my lesson preparations centered around Advent and the making of a Jesse Tree. Forty years later, I have continued that tradition. In this post, I’ll tell you what a Jesse Tree is and why. I’ll also share with you the things that I do to prepare for Advent.

What Is Advent?

Advent is the season before Christmas that helps Christians focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

Advent is a Time of Preparation — a Preparation of our minds and hearts.

For those who decorate their homes for Christmas, Advent is a time to Prepare the Home to Include recognition that Christmas is the Season When We Celebrate the Birth of  Jesus.

Advent is the Season of Light

And Jesus is the Light of the World.

 

I celebrated my first Advent Season many years ago, while I was teaching art at an Episcopal Day School. Among other things, we lit a candle at the beginning of each day. At this time, I still like to light candles during Advent, but lighting candles is not an Advent must. As I have said before, there are many ways to celebrate Advent.

Today, I want to share with you excerpts from an excellent discussion of the significance of Advent candles.

What do the four candles of Advent symbolize?

“The four candles of Advent represent the four Sundays of Advent, and they respectively symbolize hope, peace, joy, and love. In some homes and parishes, people will also light a fifth candle on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to represent the birth of Jesus; this candle, when added to the Advent wreath, is typically white and larger than the other candles and is placed in the center of the wreath.

Image Credit: Root Candles

Advent candle weeks, names & colors

• Advent week 1 – Hope: Prophecy Candle (purple)
• Advent week 2 – Peace: Bethlehem Candle (purple)
• Advent week 3 – Joy: Shepherd’s Candle (pink)
• Advent week 4 – Love: Angel’s Candle (purple)

First Advent Candle/Sunday: Hope

“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.” – C.S. Lewis

“It is only fitting that the first candle on the Advent wreath represents Hope – the first Sunday of Advent … leads us to anticipate the birth of Christ…. The first candle is purple, the primary color of Advent and a color symbolizing royalty. Sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle,” the first candle harkens us back to Isaiah’s foretelling of the birth of Christ and all of the promises God gave us in the Old Testament that would be fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. This Advent, light the first candle on Sunday, December 3, 2023.

Second Advent Candle/Sunday: Peace

“The second candle on the Advent wreath represents Peace. Like the first candle, it is also purple. Often called the “Bethlehem Candle,” the second Advent candle reminds us of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem before Mary gave birth to Jesus. Building on the meaning of the Prophecy Candle, this second candle recalls that after all of the division, destruction, and dispersion of the kingdom in the Old Testament, there might finally be peace on Earth – Jesus is coming, and so is his Kingdom of Peace…light the second candle on Sunday, December 10, 2023. 

Third Advent Candle/Sunday: Joy

“’But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:10-12)

“The third candle of Advent symbolizes Joy. As we continue to approach Christmas Day, our joy grows more and more. The third candle takes us back to the joyful anticipation of the shepherds who journeyed to see Jesus in Bethlehem, even before the wise men. On this third Sunday of Advent…we light the third candle and rejoice like the shepherds. For this reason, the third candle of Advent is called the “Shepherd’s Candle,” and its color is pink, the liturgical color for joy. This Advent, light the third candle on Sunday, December 17, 2023. 

Fourth Advent Candle/Sunday: Love

“The fourth candle of Advent represents Love, the ultimate love of God that He might send His only Son for us. Called the “Angel’s Candle,” the fourth candle of Advent is lit the Sunday before Christmas, and it is the color purple, leading us to eagerly await the new Kingdom of God on earth. This Advent, light the fourth candle on Sunday, December 24, 2023.” From a post on the website hallow.com

There is no “correct” or “?incorrect” way to arrange your Advent candles. Most people arrange them in a circle and surround them with sprigs of evergreen. [Yes, the evergreen is also meaningful in an Advent wreath. Try to guess why the greenery is evergreen.]

Years ago, I scraped until I could buy a pottery Advent candle plate by McCarty Pottery, but I lost that one in my house fire. In the interim, I have grown poorer and McCarty Pottery has gotten more expensive. I celebrate Advent alone. I have no need to impress anyone with my Advent wreath, and last year, I ordered a metal Advent ring from Amazon.

I have a few more traditions for Advent: For one thing, I like to sing and listen to music during Advent. I have decided that Disney’s Song I See the Light from Tangled is a perfect song for Advent. This year, I’ll play this video and sing with it every day.

This is an especially good song for my Advent Season of 2024. I have recently begun worshipping with the congregation at Church of the Nativity in Water Valley, MS, and for the first time in over a year, I am beginning to see the light again.

My picture book The Donkey’s Song is about Light:
What Amazon says about The Donkey’s Song:

“Children will experience the first Christmas through new eyes in this heart-tugging story of the Nativity, told by the gentle but determined donkey that carried Jesus’s parents to Bethlehem. It’s a perfect Christmas gift book for snuggling up and sharing.

Sleepy but strong, I clip-clopped along
to rest in a stable with straw.

The wonder of the first Christmas miracle is movingly told with descriptions of scented pine, warm candlelight, fresh hay, and a “sweet angel sound” as a gentle donkey welcomes the baby Jesus. Each page has adorable, moonlit images of the humble farm animals that were there to witness and comfort.

This luminous, soothing song of hope, friendship, conviction, and faith is one that families will return to each Christmas for years to come.” Amazon

Yes, The Donkey’s Song is about the birth of Jesus, but on a broader scale, it is about a move from darkness toward light. Keeping in mind that Jesus is the Light of the World, see how many references I make about light in the following preview of The Donkey’s Song. Also look at the illustrator’s celebration of the light. Sydney Hanson was a miraculous choice to illustrate Donkey.

 

I am currently writing a book of celebrations for Advent, and I created a tentative calendar of Bible stories last year.

I have been researching more for this book, and I am not sure that I’ll stick with this schedule, but I’ll share a Bible Story each day during Advent. In my opinion, a good plan is to lay out the stories so that participants can begin to understand the ancestry of Jesus, and that is why I create a Jesse Tree:

What Is A Jesse Tree?

A Jesse Tree Symbolizes the Family Tree of Jesus.

What Is A Family Tree?