Advent candles: meaning, colors and the correct order
Why four candles, in what order, which color and what to do if the first candle is just a stub by the fourth Sunday.
On Sunday, November 29, 2026, the first candle will be lit. Most of us light it because that's just what one does and then, by the third Advent, we find ourselves asking if it's the pink candle's turn, whether to go clockwise or counter-clockwise, and why the wreath looks so lopsided.
Here you will find where Advent candles come from, what they mean, and how to light them so that your wreath stays beautiful until Christmas.
Where the Advent wreath comes from
The Advent wreath is younger than one might think. In 1839, the Hamburg theologian Johann Hinrich Wichern hung a wagon wheel with candles in an orphanage: a small one for every weekday, a large one for every Sunday until Christmas. The children could thus count down how much longer it would take.
Because there was hardly enough room for 24 candles in a room, over time only the four large ones remained – one for each Advent Sunday. The evergreen boughs were added, but the circle remained. It has been a fixture in Swiss homes for about a hundred years.
What the four Advent candles mean
The basic idea is simple: with each Sunday, one more candle is lit, and it gets brighter as Christmas approaches. The light grows against the longest nights of the year.
Beyond that, there are various interpretations. A common one assigns a theme to each candle:
- 1st Candle – Hope. Often called the Prophecy candle.
- 2nd Candle – Peace. The Bethlehem candle.
- 3rd Candle – Joy. The Shepherd’s candle, or in Catholic tradition, the rose-colored candle.
- 4th Candle – Love. The Angel’s candle.
None of these assignments are mandatory. If you like, use them as an occasion to pause for a moment each Sunday. If not, simply enjoy the light.
The order: in which direction?
There is no set rule. Clockwise is common: on the first Sunday, one candle; on the second Sunday, that same one plus the one to its right, and so on.
More important than the direction is that you start with the same candle every week. Only then does the "staircase" effect emerge, which lets you see at a glance which Sunday it is: the first candle will be the shortest, the fourth the longest.
- 1st Advent, November 29, 2026 – Candle 1
- 2nd Advent, December 6, 2026 – Candles 1 and 2
- 3rd Advent, December 13, 2026 – Candles 1 through 3
- 4th Advent, December 20, 2026 – all four
Traditionally, by the way, the candle may be lit as early as Saturday evening before Advent Sunday – in church tradition, Sunday begins with the eve.
What color are Advent candles?
- Violet and Rose. The liturgical tradition: three violet candles for the period of preparation, one rose-colored candle for the third Advent, the Sunday "Gaudete" – "Rejoice."
- Red. Long the classic choice in German-speaking countries, paired with evergreen boughs and gold ribbon.
- White and natural tones. The most common choice today. White goes with any wreath, any table, and stays out even after Christmas.
Our Advent candles are natural white not on principle, but because we pour them without artificial dyes. The color is that of the olive wax itself.
The problem with the first candle
Do the math: the first candle is lit on four Sundays, the fourth only on one. If you light them for two hours each time, by December 20th you will have a candle with eight hours of burn time next to one with two. Three ways to handle this:
- Embrace the staircase. It is the very meaning of the wreath. A wreath where all candles are the same height no longer shows where you are in the season.
- Plan for enough wax. Our PURE taper candle and HARMONY taper candle each burn for about ten hours. At one hour per Sunday, the first candle uses about four hours by Christmas – leaving plenty for Christmas Eve.
- Play with heights. With the PURE pillar candle set, four heights from small to maxi stand side by side. The staircase is already there before the first flame is lit – and it shifts with every Sunday.
Frequently asked questions about Advent candles
How many candles belong on an Advent wreath?
Four, one for each Advent Sunday. Some place a fifth, white candle in the center to be lit on Christmas Eve – the XMAS gift set therefore includes five candles.
Should Advent candles be lit clockwise or counter-clockwise?
Clockwise is standard, but it is not mandatory. The only thing that matters is that you always begin the week with the same candle.
When is the 1st Advent in 2026?
On Sunday, November 29, 2026. The following Advent Sundays are December 6, 13, and 20.
Is it okay to light the Advent candles during the week?
Of course. Just be sure to always light the same candles you used on the previous Sunday so that the "staircase" remains intact – and plan for candles with sufficient burn time.