The classic Advent wreath consists of lush green fir branches that are tied into a wreath and decorated with four candles. Where does the custom of the Advent wreath actually come from and how long has it been around?
Advent wreath prototype on a wagon wheel
The first Advent wreath was placed in a children's home in Hamburg almost 200 years ago. Johann Hinrich Wichern, theologian and founder of the care centre, wanted to make it easier for the children to wait for Christmas. He took a wagon wheel and attached four large and 19 smaller candles on it. The large candles stood for the Sundays of Advent, the smaller ones for the days of the week in between. This allowed the children to count the remaining days until Christmas. Unlike today's Advent calendars, which always start on 1 December, the original Advent wreath had a different number of candles each year: if the fourth Sunday in Advent fell on Christmas Eve, there were 22 candles; the highest number of candles was in the years when Christmas Eve fell on the Saturday after the fourth Sunday in Advent, when there were 28 candles.
The Advent wreath conquers the world
Fir branches with their fresh green colour were not added until around 1860, and by the beginning of the 20th century the wreath had become established in Protestant churches and private homes. During the first half of the 20th century, it was also widely used in Catholic churches and homes. After the Second World War at the latest, it could be found all over the world in all kinds of shapes and made from a wide variety of materials. They only have one thing in common: in contrast to the original wreath, they nowadays only have four candles for reasons of space. To accommodate more than 20 candles, a wreath would have to have a diameter of one to two metres.
At the Rauhen Haus in Hamburg, however, the Wichern tradition is upheld. The original Advent wreath, as invented by Johann Hinrich Wichern in 1839, is still used here in the run-up to Christmas with up to 28 candles, depending on the year.
Instructions for a DIY Advent wreath
Making your own Advent wreath is very easy. You will need:
- 1 straw ring (diameter inside approx. 15 cm)
- pruning shears
- fir branches
- green floral wire
- 4 candles with suitable holders
- decorations like bows, pine cones etc.
- thin gold wire
Cut the fir branches into 10 to 15 cm long pieces with the pruning shears.
Place the wire once around the ring and twist it so that it holds well. Place the first three branches on the straw ring, wrap the wire around the ring at the lower end of the branches and tighten. Place the next branches on top of the already attached branches in a staggered pattern and also tighten with the wire.
It is important that the entire ring (except for the underside) is well covered. The cut side of the branches should always face in the same direction.
Continue working in this way all the way round so that the next layer of twigs covers the wire holding the previously attached twigs.
Finally, push the last twigs under the loose end of the first twigs and hide the wire underneath. Now wrap the wire around twice, cut it and pull it through under the already wrapped wire on the underside of the ring, just like when sewing. Tuck the end into the straw and your Advent wreath is ready!
Now attach the candles and the candle holders on the wreath and decorate as desired with bows, pine cones or other decorative materials.
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Tip: The first Advent wreath in particular might be not quite even. To avoid having to redo it completely, but to give it a compact, even shape, you can wrap it loosely with some thin gold wire before decorating. This works wonders!