1st Advent Sunday - 29.11.2020

Today is the 1st Advent Sunday and people all over the world are celebrating it.

My wife Leila & took the morning relaxed and enjoyed our breakfast in bed.

It's also befitting that the sun is gracing us with her presence today.

Leila prepared an advent wreath and we lit the first candle today.

But what exactly is this Advent tradition?

(photo left: Marija/photo right: Dzintars)

The Advent wreath, or Advent crown is circular, and is a Christian tradition that symbolises the passage of the four weeks of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western church. The circle represents God's infinite love, and are usually made of evergreen leaves, which "represent the hope of eternal life brought by Jesus Christ.

It is traditionally a Lutheran practice, although it has spread to many other Christian denominations.

(Advent prepared by Leila)

It is an evergreen wreath with four candles, sometimes with a fifth, white candle in the center. Beginning with the First Sunday of Advent, the lighting of a candle can be accompanied by a Bible reading, devotional time and prayers.

An additional candle is lit on each subsequent Sunday until, by the last Sunday of Advent, all four candles are lit.

Although each of the candles can be attributed its own significance as well; in one version of such interpretation, the candles specifically symbolize the Christian concepts of Hope (week one), Peace (week two), Joy (week three) and Love (week four).

The concept of the Advent wreath originated among German Lutherans in the 16th century.

In the UK, the four red advent candles are often linked to the Sunday Revised Common Lectionary readings for Advent, each candle representing those looking forward to the coming of Christ: the hope of all God's people (week one), the Old Testament prophets (week two), John the Baptist (week three) and Mary the mother of Jesus (week four).

Blessed 1st Advent to You All.

In my above article I quoted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen

Happy DIY Home (Whom I have quoted in my write up above), has recently published an updated, comprehensive guide on dwarf Evergreen trees. It is completely free and you can find it here: https://happydiyhome.com/dwarf-evergreen-trees/