You may have grown up, like we did, doing Advent over the course of four weeks. Anyone? Show of hands?
Tell me if this sounds familiar: There was a wreath with four candles—three purple and one pink—representing peace, hope, joy, and love. Every Sunday leading up to Christmas, you would read a passage and light one more candle. And on Christmas Eve, you’d light the large, white, “Christ Candle” in the center of the wreath.
If you did Advent, chances are it looked something like this—though maybe not precisely like this. There’s a lot of history behind this 4-week practice. It dates back, as far as we can tell, to 16th-century Germany.
The colors of the candles aren’t as universal. Most of the time they’re purple—since purple was the symbolic color of Advent in the Western church dating back to the 1200s. But some traditions use blue or white candles.
And don’t get us started on what the candles actually mean! If you grew up with “love, hope, joy, and peace,” you may be stunned to learn that other traditions point to different symbols. Such as (1) Israel, (2) the prophets, (3) John the Baptist, and (4) Mary.
Or (1) creation, (2) incarnation, (3) redemption, and (4) restoration.
And there are plenty more.
Of course, the core element of the 4-week Advent wreath has always been the same—anticipation. The wreath becomes a beautiful centerpiece for the home, drawing people toward it. The candles provide a tangible activity, which is both beautiful and fun. And all of it points forward to the celebration of Jesus at the end of the season.
So … why are Advent calendars 25 days?
But wait! You say. All of the Advent calendars I see are 25 days. What’s that about? A very good question, indeed.
Advent calendars may not be quite as common as Christmas trees, but they’re close. Most of them are pretty simple: Your calendar has 25 small flaps or doors, numbered from “1” to “25.” Every day, you open one more door, revealing a message or a prize. Chocolates, small toys, that kind of thing.
These days, we’ve turned Advent calendars into a weird kind of niche market. You can get Advent calendars with legos, socks, cheeses—the list is endless. But the 25-day Advent countdown, which feels like a modern commercial thing, is actually pretty old. It dates back to 1839, when a German pastor named Johann Hinrich Wichern decided to take his Advent wreath and put 25 candles on it instead of four.
Why? He was thinking of the kids in his congregation, and suspected that they’d love to light a candle every day instead of every week. He was right. Soon after he did this in his church, Advent calendars began popping up all over the place. Wichern probably couldn’t have envisioned 25 days of cheese … but I’m not sure he’d be opposed to it, either.
4 weeks or 25 days?
So which one is better—four weeks or 25 days? Wreaths or calendars? The 16th-century Germans or 19th-century Pastor Wichern?
Honestly, either one.
Remember, the entire point of Advent is to anticipate the coming of Jesus. Your family can do that over the course of four Sundays. You can do it over the span of 25 days. The important thing is that you do it.
Ask yourself: How can I cultivate my heart this Christmas to anticipate Jesus’ birth, and not just presents? What can I do with those in my home to anticipate Jesus? You can create your own Advent rhythm. Or join with what your church is doing. Or (our personal favorite) join with the thousands of families who have started using Advent Blocks, a 25-day resource that helps kids—and parents—anticipate Jesus all throughout December.
This Christmas, we’re praying that you’ll taste the anticipation of Advent. That you’ll join with believers across the world and across the centuries, experiencing joy in the present while you look to God’s sure and certain joy in the future.