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The Advent Wreaths are circular garland of evergreen branches representing eternity in form of five candles that are typically arranged. During the season of Advent one candle on the wreath is lit each Sunday as a part of the Advent services. The lengthening days held the promise of a return of summer and new growth, so ancient peoples would gather evergreen or holly branches which still retained the color of life and bind them into circles. The circles represented the continuity of the year in which spring follows winter, summer follows spring, autumn follows summer and winter again returns following autumn. When Christianity replaced the pagan religions, the Christian Church wisely kept and retained many of the ancient customs and simply gave these traditions a Christian focus. Advent Wreaths are a common Christmas decoration that is simply a variation of traditional Christmas wreaths. Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Having them are a way of celebrating the Christian season of Advent that may appear in different forms depending on the church or family displaying it but most are round and covered with some sort of evergreen branches. Four tall candles sit on the rim and in the center is a large white candle called the Christ candle. They may also be decorated with red bows or ribbons or with other flowers or berries. Advent is one of the oldest Christian traditions and the Advent Wreaths itself takes back at least to the middle ages. It takes its history from the Germanic and Scandinavian people who used them with lit candles to symbolize the hope of spring during winter’s dark and short days. They are full of significance to the Christian and as days pass by, these have become a family tradition for many Christians but not all churches formally recognize the season of Advent and do not include them in Christmas celebrations. However, many of the Protestant and Evangelical Christians have recognized the spiritual importance of Advent. Thus, more churches have revived some of the Advent customs with these Advent Wreaths being one of those customs. Whether or not, your church displays them as a tradition that you can observe in your home. They can be purchased or created and family would certainly magnify its importance in Christian families for these are a wonderful family tradition that you can begin. The beautiful memories you make with your children will last forever. As adults, they will certainly want to continue this wonderful tradition and there are still a lot of Christians who follow the tradition of having them on decors. Most of the people who doesn't follow the tradition, they simple hung these outdoor on front doors and can already make home beautiful for Christmas. These are great ornaments that welcome our guests at home and their joyous appearance gives a positive atmosphere towards us. Celebrating with the advent wreaths during the weeks prior to Christmas is a great way for Christian families to keep Christ at the center of Christmas and for parents to teach their children the true meaning of Christmas. Another Advent tradition that can be very meaningful and fun for children is to celebrate with the Jesse Tree. These Wreaths can be purchased from any Christian bookstore or other stores specializing in religious items. They are also becoming more common in the Christmas aisle in regular stores. They are available in both online and regular stores. You can also easily make your own by simply arranging a wreath of evergreen branches and place the candles in holders spaced an equal distance apart around the advent wreaths. If you are using live evergreen branches be sure to replace them with fresh branches as they dry out and make sure the candles are secured so that the flame does not touch the evergreens.
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