Advent is a beautiful time for preparing our hearts in anticipation of the Birth of Christ at Christmas! Here are 10+ easy and fun DIY Catholic Advent Wreaths for you to do with your kids, as well as the symbolism and instructions for your Advent wreath.
What do the 4 Advent candles represent in Catholicism?
Traditionally, a Catholic Advent wreath has 4 candles: 3 purple candles and 1 pink candle. Sometimes, at Christmas, a large white candle is added in the center.
The 4 candles correspond with the liturgical vestment colors worn and displayed on the 4 Sundays of Advent. Purple is the liturgical color of the entire Advent season. Rose is a color used on 2 Sundays in the Catholic church.
You will see rose vestments on Gaudete Sunday during Advent and Laetare Sunday during Lent. Rose represents joy and anticipation in the Catholic church. Gaudete and Laetare are both Latin verbs that mean “rejoice.” You can tell your children that when the pink candle is lit, it means that Christmas is almost here!
“Both Gaudete and Laetare are Latin verbs for rejoice, but with slightly different meanings. James-Charles Noonan, Jr. in his The Church Visible separates them in this manner:
Gaudete means expressed or exuberant joy. Laetare means internal joy, a joy of anticipation felt within the solemn season of Lent (p. 209).”
In what order do you light Advent candles?
On the first Sunday of Advent, you will light the first purple candle (known as the PROPHECY CANDLE) which represents HOPE.
On the second Sunday of Advent, you light the second purple candle (along with the first purple candle. The second purple candle is known as the BETHLEHEM CANDLE which represents PEACE AND PREPARATION.
On the third Sunday, you get to light the pink candle (along with the first and second candles). The pink candle is known as the SHEPHERD’S CANDLE and represents JOY.
On the fourth Sunday of Advent, all the candles will be lit including the final purple candle. The final purple candle is known as the ANGEL’S CANDLE and represents LOVE.
Each Sunday, you can light your own candles throughout Advent, and continue to light that week’s candles everyday throughout the week. Here is a simple guide with scripture reflections and prayers.
Advent Wreath Symbolism
There is actually lots of meaningful and rich symbolism related to the Advent wreath. Kendra Tierney from Catholic All Year explains each part of symbolism (the circle of the wreath, the evergreen branches, decorative pine cones or seed pods, the four candles, and the candle flames) beautifully here:
“An Advent wreath is a beautiful way to talk about the idea of religious symbolism with kids. The circle of the wreath, with no beginning and no end, symbolizes God’s eternal nature. The evergreen branches symbolize the immortality of the soul. Decorative pine cones or seed pods symbolize new life and resurrection. The four candles symbolize the four weeks of the Advent season, but also the four thousand years from the creation of Adam and Eve to the birth of Jesus Christ. (As time is reckoned in the Bible, which might not be meant literally.) The candle flames symbolize the light of Christ.”
Simple DIY Catholic Advent Wreaths
You do not need an expansive or fancy wreath for your home. We have made our wreath for the past few years, and we love it. Here are 10 simple advent wreath crafts to do with your family!
Simple Catholic Advent Wreath Using Real Candles and Natural Greenery
This has been our choice of DIY Advent wreath for the past few years. You can find or make pink and purple pillar candles, and find greenery from your yard for the wreath part. It is very cost effective and pretty! Kendra explains how in this video:
Free Printable Catholic Advent Wreath Candles
This free printable from looktohimandberadiant.com is absolutely adorable and would be great for all ages (younger children will need some assistance cutting the plate). It’s made with the beautiful printable, construction paper, and a paper plate.
Felt Family Catholic Advent Wreath
Here are instructions from catholicmom.com for a fun and meaningful family DIY Advent wreath! How sweet would it be to make the felt leaves out of everyone’s hands?
Mini Kids DIY Catholic Advent Wreath
How cute are these mini kids’ Advent wreaths? Lacy at catholicicing.com always have amazing ideas for Catholic kids! These would be great to do with the kids in your religious education classes or homeschool co-ops as well.
Perler Bead Catholic Advent Wreath Pattern
Are your kids into perler beads? Check out this free perler bead Catholic Advent wreath pattern from catholicplayground.com. It has holes for the candles and stands up. We made it a few years ago and it worked perfectly!
Catholic Advent Wreath Magnet Sets
I love the affordable and simple crafts and activities from Autom.com. The have 2 different magnetic Advent sets that I know my kids would love to play with! They have this simple pack of 12 and this more detailed set of 12. These affordable packs would would well for religious education gifts or St. Nicholas day stocking stuffers!
Hanging Catholic Advent Craft
Another affordable pack from Autom is this easy and fun foam hanging Advent wreath craft. This pack of 24 is a great deal, and no glue required!
5 DIY Catholic Advent wreaths in One Video
This video from Heather at A Catholic Mom’s Life has FIVE awesome and affordable DIY Advent wreath ideas. You could even mix and match some of her ideas to create a wreath from materials that you already may have in your home.
DIY Advent Wreath Candles
After you have created your own Advent wreath, why not make your own candles? Holy Heroes has this awesome kit of beautiful DIY Advent candles (Be sure to use code ALEXANDRA for 10% off of your entire Holy Heroes order)! The candles are 100% beeswax, and you can enjoy making them with your entire family. The kit also comes with a prayer booklet for Advent. Be sure to pick up 4 tapered candle holders like these, and then you could incorporate them into your homemade wreath!
Be sure to use code ALEXANDRA for 10% off of your entire Holy Heroes order!
References:
- “Laetare, Jerusalem! Rejoice!” catholicculture.org
- “Advent Wreath Prayers” dynamiccatholic.com
- “Seven Catholic Advent Traditions, and which ones will work for your family” catholicallyear.com
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