The beginning of the Advent wreath

First – what does Advent mean?
Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time
of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity
of Jesus at Christmas. The term is an anglicized version of the Latin
word „adventus“, meaning „coming“. Adventus also means „arrival“.
Adventus Domini is Latin for „Arrival of the Lord“.

Johann Hinrich Wichern is considered the inventor of the Advent wreath.
Wichern was born on 21.4.1808. In 1826 Wichern is an education
assistant in a Christian boarding school of pupils. After years of study
in Hamburg university he became a teacher.

Wichern is now senior teacher at a Sunday school specifically for the
working-class children in the slums of Hamburg. The distress that he
had seen at his home visits, forces him to act. On 31st of October 1833
Wichern moves with his Mother and two siblings into an old farmhouse,
under the name of the old owners „Ruge’s house“ (= Rough House) .

Johann Hinrich Wichern, Hamburg Germany.

With three boys Wichern begins his work!

Soon he took dozens of poor kids, boys first and then later also girls,
off the road and gave them a new and decent home.
Over time, there are at Wicherns house a carpentry shop, a shoemaker,
a bookbinding and they have their own agriculture farm. The children
get the opportunity to learn a trade. Soon Wichern couldn’t do this work
no longer alone. And so he brings numerous „Brothers“ in the house.
These rescuers should act like big brothers responsibility for the charges
take over and guide them and serve as a model to the kids.
1844 Wichern founded his „brothers institution“, which still exists today.
04.07.1881 Wichern dies after a long illness. His work lives on today in
the diakonia of Hamburg!

The Rough House in Hamburg, engraving of the 1840’s.

The origins of the Advent wreath.

Wichern celebrated in the rough house with his boys the Advent. But at
that time there were not as many Christmas symbols as we have today.
Wichern celebrated the advent first so, that they sang at the evening
Christmas carols, and reading the many biblical promises about the
coming of Jesus Christ.

In 1839, for the first time, Wichern mounted on a wooden wheel four
large white candles for each Sunday of Advent and 19 red candles for
each day of the week from the first Advent until Christmas Eve.
Only years later he began to decorate the wooden wheel with pine green.

Since there are different numbers of days from the first Advent to
Christmas Eve every year, so is the number different of red candles.
In average the first big Advent wreath’s, in churches or else, counted
4 white candles and 24 red candles.
During the years the candles reduced to 4, because of lack of enough
room (wagon wheel size) in private homes, and lit every Sunday of advent.

Advent wreath with 4 white and 24 red candles.

What will tell us the Advent wreath?

The green of the pine branches pine branches is not only a sign of hope,
but also symbolizes life. Thus, the evergreen pine branches are a sign
of hope of eternal life that we get paid in Jesus Christ.

Wreaths apply since time immemorial and in many cultures as a sign of
victory. the Advent brings this trophy in our homes, especially in a
dark and dreary season in which nature „dies“.

Lights of the candles and lights of the Advent wreath. Jesus claims:
„I am the light of the world! Whoever follows me will no longer wander
in the darkness, but will have the light that leads him back to life“.
Red candles: The color red stands for love, especially for the love of
God in us, that He, Jesus Christ can give.
A candle is lit every day, of course, with the result: more and more
each day it gets lighter and warmer around the wreath up to the coming
of Jesus on Christmas Eve.

Today we light the first candle.