Advent wreath candle lightning

[Jnug]

After going to Mass to this weekend and seeing the lighting of the first candle, my roomates and I got into a discussion about the lighting of the Advent candles. My family and a roomate of mine always light the candles from the purple candle across from the pink candle and continue clockwise for the following weekends. My other roomates light a candle next to the pink candle and continue in a cross (lighting the pink candle 3rd). We were wondering if there is a set way to light the candles or is any family tradition that lights them in an order that keeps the pink candle 3rd to be lit perfectly aceptable? Thank you

 

[AngelusDomini]

The rose candle is lit on the 3rd Sunday of Advent - the same day that rose vestments may be worn; Gaudete Sunday. The Advent wreath is a relatively recent thing though and some may have all red candles, others blue - at home you may give it any significance you want.

 

[phil19034]

I just do it in a circle so that the pink one is obviously the 3rd lite.

You can light the purple ones in any order, as long as the 3rd one is the pink one.

Some people (and parishes) even buy 3 purple candles of different lengths. The longest one being for the 1st Sunday and the shortest for the last.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

The advent wreath (even when it’s in the church) is considered a “private” devotion, and as such, there’s no particular rule.

 

[poche]

Other than lighting the pink candle on the third Sunday of Advent there is no specific set of rules about lighting the candles.

 

[IAmBlessed2]

That is the way we are doing it…