AT A GLANCE
What order should you choose when lighting the Advent candles?
There is no universal order for lighting Advent candles. Selection may be influenced by factors such as size, numbering, appearance, personal preference, or Catholic custom. Circular wreaths are often lit anti-clockwise and elongated arrangements are lit from left to right.
What is the correct order to light the candles?
The Advent wreath invented by Johann Hinrich Wichern in Hamburg in 1839 originally had as many candles as there are days in Advent. Nowadays, the Advent wreath is usually equipped with only four candles. What is certain is that on the first Advent one candle may burn and with each new Advent another candle is lit. The order of the candles against it is not generally established. The following factors can be decisive for this:
- size or length of the candles
- already attached numbering
- visually appealing order
- personal preference
- catholic custom
- Aim for all candles to burn evenly
also read
In what order do you like to light Advent candles?
In the case of circular Advent wreaths, the candles are usually used counterclockwise set on fire. If the Advent wreath is on a sideboard, one of the front candles is usually lit first. Otherwise, the choice depends on chance or your own preferences.
In the case of elongated Advent arrangements, it is most often lit from left to right. For fancy ones Advent wreath alternatives It is decided individually and according to one's own feeling what is consistent.
What is the order in Catholic custom?
In Germany, the Catholic Advent wreath has either four red candles, the color of which is supposed to symbolize the blood of Jesus Christ, or three purple and one pink candle. In the second case, the order must be such that the pink candle on the third advent is ignited. That should be the signal that there is only one more week of Advent until Christmas Eve.
What does the size of the candles have to do with the order?
Not all Advent candles are lit equally often. Therefore, without tricks, it is not possible that the Burn candles evenly. While only a pitiful remnant is left of the first candle, the last candle looks almost like new. To prevent this scenario, some Advent wreaths are used candles of different heights attached, rarely different thickness. The longest or thickest candle is lit first, then the second longest candle, and so on.
In which order do the same candles burn evenly?
There is one mathematically based trick when lighting. This is based on a certain order or Frequency, but also requires five candles. This is the calculated order:
- 1. Advent: Candle 1
- 2. Advent: Candles 2 + 3
- 3. Advent: Candles 1 + 4 + 5
- 4. Advent: Candles 3 + 4 + 5
If you do the math, you will find that each candle is lit on two Sundays in Advent. If they burn for the same length of time every Advent, there will be four remaining candles of the same size on the wreath at the end of the Advent season.
Tip
Simply retrofit the fifth candle at home.
Most Advent wreaths that you can buy only have four candles. Of course, the five candlestick trick cannot be performed that way. Look for a wreath model that easily decorates the home with a fifth candle spice up leaves.