Advent Wreath

[Nechasin]

Do you have to have an Advent wreath in the church during advent? The reason that I’m asking is that our “Advent Wreath” is quite strange this year. The 4 advent candles are on pedestals around the church instead of together up near the alter. Several people I know asked why we didn’t have a wreath this year.

 

[John_Lilburne]

Do you have to have an Advent wreath in the church during advent? The reason that I’m asking is that our “Advent Wreath” is quite strange this year. The 4 advent candles are on pedestals around the church instead of together up near the alter. Several people I know asked why we didn’t have a wreath this year.

An advent wreath is optional. The Book of Blessings, in the edition approved for the USA has an “Order for the Blessing of an Advent Wreath”. This is not in the original Latin version of this liturgical book, but only in the USA one. It includes:
“1512 If the Advent Wreath is to be used in church, it should be of sufficient size to be visible to the congregation.” (Book of Blessings, Liturgical Press, Minnesota, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1875-8, page 573).
It also has “1510 Customarily the Advent Wreath is constructed of a circle of everygreen braches into which are inserted four candles.”