An Advent wreath has four candles, one for each Sunday of Advent: three purple (violet) and one pink (rose). You light one purple candle on the First Sunday of Advent, two on the Second, the two purple plus the pink candle on the Third Sunday (Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of joy), and all four on the Fourth Sunday. Many families add a white Christ candle in the center on Christmas. In 2026 the Sundays of Advent are November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20.
Below you will find what each candle and color means, the popular names (hope, peace, joy, love), where the wreath came from, and practical tips for setting one up at home.
The order of the Advent candles
| Week | Sunday in 2026 | Candles lit | Color added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 29 | 1 | Purple |
| 2 | December 6 | 2 | Purple |
| 3 (Gaudete) | December 13 | 3 | Pink (rose) |
| 4 | December 20 | 4 | Purple |
| Christmas | December 24–25 | 4 + Christ candle | White |
During each week, relight the same candles every evening (for example, at dinner) and add one more each Sunday.
What the colors mean
- Purple (violet) is the liturgical color of Advent. It signifies preparation, penance and longing, and also royalty: we are waiting for a King.
- Pink (rose) is used only twice a year, on the Third Sunday of Advent and the Fourth Sunday of Lent. Both Sundays are named after the first word of their entrance antiphon: Gaudete, “Rejoice,” in Advent. The rose candle marks that Christmas is near and that joy is breaking through the waiting.
- White, in the Christ candle, is the color of Christmas and Easter: the light of Christ has come.
- Green evergreens form the wreath itself, a sign of life that does not fade, and the circle has no beginning or end, like God’s love.
Some parishes and families use blue candles. Violet is the official color of the season in the Roman Rite; blue is a local custom and not part of the Church’s liturgical norms.
Do the Advent candles have names?
Many families give each candle a theme. The most common are:
- Hope (sometimes called the Prophecy candle), recalling the prophets who foretold the Messiah.
- Peace (the Bethlehem candle), recalling the journey of Mary and Joseph.
- Joy (the Shepherds’ candle, the pink one), recalling the angels’ “good tidings of great joy.”
- Love (the Angels’ candle), recalling God’s love revealed in the gift of His Son.
These names are a popular devotion rather than an official part of the liturgy, and the order sometimes varies between traditions. The Church’s own Order for the Blessing of an Advent Wreath does not assign names. Use whichever helps your family pray; what matters is the growing light as Christmas draws near.
Where the Advent wreath came from
Wreaths of evergreens and lights were part of winter customs in northern Europe long before they were linked to Advent. The modern Advent wreath is usually traced to the Lutheran pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern, who in 1839 hung a cart wheel with candles in his home for poor children in Hamburg so they could count the days until Christmas. The custom spread among German families with four candles for the four Sundays, and in the twentieth century it was embraced by Catholics around the world. Today the Church’s Book of Blessings includes an order for blessing an Advent wreath in church, and household prayer books include a family blessing.
How to set up an Advent wreath
- When: before the First Sunday of Advent, ideally on Saturday evening, November 28, 2026, or before dinner on Sunday, November 29.
- What you need: a circular base, evergreen branches (real or artificial), three purple candles and one pink candle, and a white candle for Christmas if you wish.
- Arrangement: place the candles around the circle so the pink candle is lit third. The order around the ring does not matter, as long as everyone knows which candle comes next.
- Blessing: a priest or deacon can bless the wreath, or the head of the household can lead a family blessing. The text is on Advent wreath prayers.
- Safety: keep real greenery watered or use flame-retardant decorations, and never leave candles burning unattended.
- After Advent: on Christmas, many families replace the purple and pink candles with white ones and keep the wreath through the Christmas season, which in 2026–2027 ends with the Baptism of the Lord on January 10, 2027.
Advent candle prayers
A simple prayer for lighting the candles each evening:
Leader: O God, by whose word all things are made holy, pour out your blessing on this wreath and on all of us who use it.
As we light these candles, may we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, and may he find us watching and ready.
All: Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.
For a full prayer for each of the four weeks, a blessing of the wreath and prayers for children, see Advent wreath prayers for each week.
Frequently asked questions
Why is one Advent candle pink?
Because the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, is a Sunday of joy. The Mass begins with “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4), and rose vestments may be worn.
Which Advent candle do you light first?
A purple candle. The pink candle is lit on the Third Sunday, and the last purple candle on the Fourth.
What is the white candle in the middle of the Advent wreath?
The Christ candle, lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to show that the Light of the World has come.
Can I use four purple candles?
Yes. The rose candle is traditional but not required. Four violet candles are perfectly fine.
Are Advent candles Catholic?
The Advent wreath began among German Lutherans in the nineteenth century and was adopted by Catholics in the twentieth. Today the Church provides an official blessing for it, and it is one of the most common Catholic Advent customs.
Related pages
- Gaudete Sunday and the rose candle
- Advent 2026: dates, Sundays and meaning
- Advent wreath prayers for each week
- St. Andrew Christmas Novena
- Prayers of the Faithful for Advent
Sources
- Book of Blessings, Order for the Blessing of an Advent Wreath
- Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 39–42
- General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 346