Advent Wreath: Meaning, Candle Colors and Lighting Order (2026)

An Advent wreath is a circle of evergreens that holds four candles, three purple and one rose. One more candle is lit on each Sunday of Advent, so the light grows week by week until Christmas. In 2026, Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, and you light the first purple candle that day.

Catholic Faith Store is a family-owned Catholic store that has served the faithful since 2005. We carry Advent wreaths, candles, candleholders and Advent calendars, and we put this guide together so your family can set up a wreath, bless it and light it in the right order this year.

Advent 2026 at a glance

Advent opens the Church's new liturgical year, and it always begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Christmas falls on a Friday in 2026, so this Advent runs 26 days, from November 29 through Christmas Eve, and the fourth week lasts only five days.

Each Sunday links to our reflection for that week, with a prayer for lighting its candle.

What does the Advent wreath mean?

Every part of the wreath points to Christ's coming:

• The circle has no beginning and no end, a sign of God's eternal love.
• The evergreens stay green through winter, a sign of the life Christ brings.
• The four candles stand for the four weeks of Advent. The growing light marks the world's long wait for the Savior and our own preparation to welcome Him.
• The light itself recalls Christ, the Light of the World, coming into the darkness.

The wreath as we know it is fairly young. Historians usually trace it to Johann Hinrich Wichern, a Lutheran pastor in Hamburg, Germany, who in 1839 set candles on a wooden ring so the children in his care could count the days to Christmas. Catholic families and parishes took up the custom in the 20th century, and today the Church includes an order for blessing an Advent wreath in its Book of Blessings. For more on the season itself, read The Sacred Stillness of Advent.

What color are the Advent candles?

Three candles are purple (violet) and one is rose, often sold as pink.

• Purple is the liturgical color of Advent, the color of prayer, penance and preparation. You will see it on the priest's vestments at Sunday Mass through the season.
• Rose belongs to the third Sunday, called Gaudete Sunday after the first word of that day's entrance antiphon, "Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). The midpoint of Advent lightens to rose because Christmas is near.

Many families add a fifth, white candle in the center, the Christ Candle, and light it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It is a popular custom, not a requirement.

A note on choices: the Church's Book of Blessings gives three violet and one rose as the tradition, but it also allows four violet or four white candles. The candle names used in this guide, Prophet, Bethlehem, Shepherd and Angel, come from popular devotion rather than the liturgy, so you may see other names elsewhere.

In what order do you light the Advent candles?

Light one new candle each Sunday, and relight the earlier candles with it. Most families light the wreath every evening of the week, often at dinner, not only on Sunday.

1. Week 1, from Sunday, Nov. 29: light one purple candle, the Prophet's Candle.
2. Week 2, from Sunday, Dec. 6: light the first purple candle and a second purple candle, the Bethlehem Candle.
3. Week 3, from Sunday, Dec. 13: light both purple candles and the rose candle, the Shepherd's Candle.
4. Week 4, from Sunday, Dec. 20: light all four, adding the last purple candle, the Angel's Candle.
5. Christmas Eve or Day: if you use a Christ Candle, light all five.

Set the rose candle where it will be the third one lit. There is no rule about which purple candle goes first; many families simply work around the circle.

How to set up and bless your Advent wreath

1. Set it up before the First Sunday. Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026 works well. Choose a table where the family gathers, such as the dinner table.
2. Fit the candles to the holder. Most Advent wreaths take standard taper candles, about 7/8 inch across. Pillar and votive holders need those shapes instead, and the sizes are not interchangeable. Most wreaths come without candles, so check the candle positions on the product page before you buy a candle set.
3. Bless it. The blessing takes place on the First Sunday of Advent or the evening before. Many parishes bless wreaths at Mass, and at home, a parent or another family member may lead the blessing. The USCCB publishes the full Blessing of an Advent Wreath, in English and Spanish.
4. Pray each time you light it. A short Scripture reading and a simple prayer are enough. Many families let the children take turns lighting the candles.
5. Keep it safe. Never leave candles burning unattended, and keep dry greenery away from the flame. Flameless LED candles are a good choice for homes with small children, dorms, care homes and offices.

A simple prayer for any night of Advent:

Come, Lord Jesus. As the light on our wreath grows week by week, prepare our hearts to welcome You at Christmas. Amen.

How to choose an Advent wreath

• Metal wreath: lasts for years and becomes a family heirloom. Our Celtic knot wreaths are 8.5 inches across, sit low on the table and take four taper candles. Add your own greenery if you want it.
• Ceramic wreath: the handmade white ceramic wreath is 8 inches across and has wells for water, so fresh greens last longer through the four weeks.
• Nativity candleholder: combines the wreath with a scene of the Holy Family. Some, like our Nativity Advent Candleholder, hold a fifth candle for Christmas. It takes more table space than a simple ring.
• Candles: taper sets are the most common, in 10-inch sets of four, or of five with a white Christ Candle added. Pillar sets (2.75 inches tall, 3 inches across) and 15-hour votive sets fit their own holders. LED flameless tapers are the safest option, though some families miss the ritual of striking a match each night.

Advent wreaths and candles from Catholic Faith Store

Bronze Celtic Knot Advent Wreath	White Ceramic Advent Wreath
Nativity Advent Candleholder, 5 Candles	Set of 5 Advent Tapers, Made in USA
Advent Pillar Candle Set	LED Flameless Advent Tapers

Also for the season: Advent calendars, The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander and the Advent and Christmas Traditions book.

Shop the full Advent collection »

Frequently asked questions

When do you light the first Advent candle in 2026?
On the First Sunday of Advent, Sunday, November 29, 2026. Some families bless and light the wreath the evening before, Saturday, November 28.

Why is one Advent candle pink?
The rose (pink) candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, which falls on December 13, 2026. Gaudete means "rejoice," and the rose color marks joy that Christmas is near.

What order are the Advent candles lit in?
Purple on the first Sunday, purple on the second, rose on the third and purple on the fourth. Each Sunday you relight the earlier candles too. A white Christ Candle, if you use one, is lit at Christmas.

Can you use four purple or white candles instead?
Yes. The Church's Book of Blessings names three violet and one rose as the tradition, but allows four violet or four white candles.

What does the white candle in the middle mean?
It is the Christ Candle, lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is a popular custom rather than a requirement.

What size candles fit an Advent wreath?
Most Advent wreaths take standard taper candles about 7/8 inch across, usually 10 inches tall. Pillar and votive holders need those shapes instead. Most wreaths are sold without candles, so check the candle positions on the product page before you buy a candle set.

Who can bless an Advent wreath?
A priest or deacon often blesses wreaths at Mass on the First Sunday of Advent. At home, a parent or another family member may lead the blessing, using the prayer published by the USCCB.

Do you light the Advent wreath every day?
Most families do. Light that week's candles each evening, often at dinner with a short prayer, and add a new candle each Sunday.

Is the Advent wreath a Catholic tradition?
It began among German Lutherans in the 1800s and was taken up by Catholics in the 20th century. Today it is part of Catholic practice, and the Church provides an official blessing for it.

The four weeks of Advent

• Week One: Hope – The Prophet's Candle
• Week Two: Peace – The Bethlehem Candle
• Week Three: Joy – The Shepherd's Candle
• Week Four: Love – The Angel's Candle

References

1. USCCB – Blessing of an Advent Wreath
2. USCCB – What is Advent?
3. Catholic Courier – Advent Wreaths: Symbols and Meaning