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Next: 29 Nov to 22 Dec 2026

Advent

Four candles on a green wreath, three purple and one rose, lit one by one on the Sundays before Christmas.

An acolyte lighting Advent candles on Christmas Eve at Calvary Episcopal Church in Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Photo: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The colours of Advent

Advent is the four weeks of waiting before Christmas. Its church colour is purple, as in Lent, a colour of preparation, though many Anglican and Lutheran churches now use deep blue to set the season apart as one of hope. The Advent wreath, a German custom, is a ring of evergreen with four candles, one lit on each Sunday. In Catholic use three are purple and one is rose. The rose candle is for the third Sunday, called Gaudete, rejoice, when the priest may also wear rose vestments. A fifth, white candle in the middle is lit on Christmas Day. In Germany and Scandinavia the wreath candles are often simply red, and windows hold paper stars.

#5B2C83Advent purpleThree candles and the vestments: preparation.
#E29AB0Gaudete roseThe third candle: joy that Christmas is near.
#1F3A7ASarum blueUsed in place of purple in many Anglican and Lutheran churches.
#2E6B3AWreath greenThe evergreen ring: life that does not end.
#FFFFFFChrist candle whiteThe centre candle, lit on Christmas Day.

Values are fair approximations, not official shades.

Read about the colours

PurpleThe liturgical colour of Advent.VioletThe name used in the Roman rite.RoseGaudete Sunday.BlueThe alternative Advent colour.
About this page

Written by the Rang desk with AI assistance. Background: "Advent" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

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