Adventskranz or the Advent wreath or the Advent crown concerns itself with the Christian tradition wherein it marks the four weeks of Advent in their liturgical calendar. Furthermore, traditionally speaking, Advent wreath originated as a Lutheran practice and thereon spread to other Christian dominated areas.
The tradition of Advent revolves around religious celebrations and deals with the preparation for the arrival or the advent of the Christ Child or das Christkind, as is said in the German language; on his official birthday that is the 25th of December.
This season of celebrations in and around the Advent has indeed seen a lot of changes and developments in the due course of time. There have been certain practices which changed such as the Lent and there have also been some that have newly emerged such as the Advent Calendars. The four weeks which lead up to Christmas are all about and filled with the festive spirit.
In the modern day German speaking regions, families indulge in the setting up of Advent Wreath or Adventskranz on the very first day of the Advent Sunday. This day has to be the fourth before the arrival of Christmas and is particularly marked by being called the beginning of the Advent season.
Usually, there is a horizontal evergreen wreath which is further like an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs or various other materials and then together they form the shape of a ring. Within the largely Christian communities wreaths typically carry connotations of being a household ornamentation which are mainly used as an Advent and Christian decoration. As a whole this evergreen construction is representative of strength which back in the old days was the basis which would help people with faith to pass through the harsh winter months. The basic etymological root of the word wreath is from the Middle English word: wrethe and/or from the Old English word: writha – both of these words mean band.
Within the wreath there are usually four candles and often there is one more, the fifth, a white candle which is placed right in the centre. In traditional terms with the arrival of the very first day of Advent, these candles are lit along with the reading of the Bible.
In Germany specifically, it is said that there is no other time throughout the year where tradition and faith dominate the lives of people as they do during the month of Christmas. The spirit of Christmas in Germany begins with the arrival of the Advent season. You will find a myriad families on the street trying to get hold of the perfect wreath from the fir branches which are then trimmed to the specifications, this along with cinnamon sticks, dried orange peels and four big candles. It is on every Sunday since the beginning of Advent that a fifth, white candle is also lit along with the usual four. There is also a children’s rhyme in the German language which goes like: Erst eins, dann zwei, dann drei, dann vier, dann steht das Christkind vor der Tür. Upon translating, it becomes: Advent, Advent, a little candle’s burning. First one, then two, then three, then four. Then the Christ Child’s at the door.
These times in Germany are genuinely fascinating. For instance even the counting of the Advent days has a tradition associated with it. There are Advent calendars which are adored by mostly children. Usually these calendars carry twenty four doors made on a large cardboard and these small doors or windows when opened usually read out verses from the bible or some image from the Biblical tales. Today, you can also find Advent Chocolate Calendars in the markets which in-fact manages to capture the child’s attention faster than anything else. Furthermore, these calendars come in a variety of ranges suiting all the random requirements and are available in the marketplaces as early as beginning from the month of October.
St. Nicholas
Saint Nicholas, a Greek bishop from Myra is commemorated on the 6th of December by the observation of Nikolaustag. St. Nicholas is remembered for his manners of giving to the needy. He had given all is possessions away and is thus celebrated on St. Nicholas’ day, the 6th of December. Traditionally, the evening before, on the 5th of December, children clean their boots and then place them outside, in front of their doors in the anticipation of treats from St. Nicholas. In the morning of the following day, they find sweets and other treats in their boots.
Then there are special Christmas markets as well. People look forward all year for these markets to come up and there are also a few who curse the cluttering of the streets because of these markets which have a rather sporadic nature. These markets are mostly there to sell food and drinks but their most unique features are of-course the Christmas presents. Christmas markets carry the same composition across but have a unique character which occupies their entire spread. For instance, there are certain scents which you can sense across these markets, such as that of: Glühwein or mulled wine and roasted almonds, their sent and flavours almost as if simply hang in the air trying to lure one and all.
Interestingly enough there are towns which have attained fame for their Christmas markets. For instance, there is the famous Striezelmarkt in Dresden. The Striezelmarkt gets its name from a cake which has been traditionally sold here and which is today known as the Stollen. There is also Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt or the Christ Child Market which holds specific fame.
If you happen to be in any of these markets during the season, it is a must that you try out the other goodies such as: Lebkuchen or the gingerbread along with the Marzipan which is made with almonds and sugar.
Bits of History
Adventskranz or the Advent wreath came about first among the German Lutherans back in the 16th century. As far as the modern day Advent wreath is concerned, it took shape only about three hundred years later, in the 19th century.
Prof. Haemig of Luther Seminary, St. Pau says through his research that it was a certain Johann Hinrich Wichern, a Protestant pastor in Germany who has to be credited for the Advent wreath and him pioneering the many urban missions. His work was all for the poor and the needy. He had founded a mission school called: Rauhes Haus in Hamburg and during Advent he would ask the children there if Christmas has arrived. In the year 1839 he built a large wooden ring which was made from an old cartwheel. This wheel had 20 small and about 4 large white candles. During the weekday all of them together would burn the small candles and on the Sundays the large white one would be lit. Among the Protestants particularly this tradition took off and holds similarity with the smaller wreath which comprises of four or five candles today. Furthermore, this custom was adopted by the Roman Catholics during the 1920’s and by the very next decade it spread across North America. The most fascinating part about this research is precisely the point that this tradition had not percolated with the United States of America until the 1930’s despite the large presence of German Lutheran immigrants there.
During the early Medieval times the Advent season was masked by fasting through which the ones with faith would believe in the Second Coming of Christ. Moreover, the Advent Wreath would then serve as a reminder of the approaching feast. In the recent times, among the Eastern Orthodox communities, the tradition of Advent Wreath changed slightly. Herein they started using six candles, instead of the usual four. The six candles symbolised the longer Christmas fast within the Orthodox tradition.
The various forms of Advent Wreath
Violet and rose are among the most popular colours for the Advent candles within the Catholic churches. These colours as a matter of fact correspond with the liturgical vestments, the robe which is worn by the clergy during the Sundays of Advent. On the other hand, within the Western Church community, violet is representative of a historical liturgical colour for the three of the four Sundays of Advent. Violet is also regarded to be the traditional colour of the penitential season, whereas, rose is the colour of the Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent. You can see the clergy dressed in rose coloured vestments during the Gaudete Sunday.
Within the Protestant Churches the use of four candles is more common which are red in colour. The colour red becomes symbolic, representing the colours of the festive Christmas decorations. Among the alternatives is blue in the case of both vestments and the Advent candles. Among the Anglican churches, the blue shades are associated with the Sarum rite along with some of the Lutheran churches as well. There are a few interpretations that the clergy offers, they say that these colours represent hope and waiting which then goes and aligns itself with the seasonal meaning of Advent. Among the other variations of Advent include the use of a white candle which is placed for the Christmas Day itself.
One of the traditional sayings around the season goes as follows:
“Ist die Weihnacht hell und klar,
hofft man auf ein fruchtbar Jahr.
Steckt die Krähe zu Weihnacht im Klee,
sitzt sie zu Ostern oft im Schnee.”
or
“If Christmas is bright and clear,
One hopes for an abundant year.
If the crow is standing in clover at Christmas,
She’ll be sitting in snow at Easter.”