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The Advent Wreath is a symbol of Advent. The wreath is made of a circle of branches. The shape of a circle shows that God's love for us is endless. Four candles stand in the circle. One candle is lit during each week of Advent. Three of the candles are purple, they stand for Promise, Hope, and Love. The fourth candle is pink. It stands for Joy, and is called the Christ Candle. The candles remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. The light from the candles grows brighter as each week comes closer to Christmas.
The story of the Christmas tree began when a man named Martin Luther was walking home one winter evening and saw a beautiful sight. He saw the sparkling light of stars shining through the branches of trees. When he got home he decided to decorate a tree with candles to show his family what he had seen.
Ever since then, people have been copying Martin Luther's idea by decorating their trees with many different things. People decorate their trees with homemade ornaments, apples, nuts, and cookies. Popcorn was dyed bright colors and put on a string with berries and nuts. How do you decorate your tree?
When electricity was invented, people started using Christmas lights to decorate their trees. This idea was much safer than using candles.
The word "posadas" means "shelter" in Spanish. "Las Posadas" reminds us of the time when Mary and Joseph went looking for shelter or a safe place to stay before the birth of Jesus.
Today, some people celebrate the birth of Jesus by making believe that they are Mary and Joseph on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Both children and adults carry candles, sing Christmas carols, visit neighbors, and ask for posada (shelter).
When they knock on their neighbors' doors, the people tell them, "Go away! There is no room for you to stay here." The children and adults keep knocking on doors, just like Mary and Joseph. At the last house, they are let into the house. They have a big party to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
King's Cake is named for the three kings or wise men who visited baby Jesus. The kings' names are Kaspar, Melchior and Balthasar.
According to an old legend based on a Bible story, three kings saw a bright star on the night Christ was born and followed it to Bethlehem to give the Christ child gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The Feast of Epiphany celebrates the day that the three kings reached Bethlehem to see the Christ child. It is twelve after Christmas. Have you heard of the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas?"
People celebrate the three kings' visit to the Christ child by having a feast and giving gifts. One of the most popular customs is to bake a special cake in honor of the three kings..."A King's Cake." The King's Cake is decorated with colored sugar. Purple stands for Justice; Green stands for Faith; and Gold, stands for Power. Hidden inside the King's cake is a little doll of baby Jesus. It is a custom that whoever finds the doll will have the next party to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
In the state of Louisiana, people have many parties celebrating the birth of Christ and the season of Epiphany. This season of parties begins on January 6, when the three kings visited baby Jesus and ends the morning of Ash Wednesday. The last party to celebrate the Three Kings has a special name, it is called a Mardi Gras Party!
Outside sources of information:
Advent Wreath
http://www.execpc.com/~tmuth/st_john/xmas/advent.htm
Collins, Ken . How to make and use an Advent Wreath. 24 Nov. 2001. 9 Dec. 2002 http://www.kencollins.com/question-10.html.Christmas Tree
Christmas Trees. 2001. The History Channel. Oct. 2001 www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/trees.html.Las Posadas
Christmas in Mexico. Oct. 2001 http://www.demon.co.uk/mexuk/dic95/navidad.html.King's Cake
Gambino\'s Bakery. 2000. Compucast Web Design. Oct. 2001 http://www.gambinos.com/.Shea, Robert J. Epiphany - Three Kings. 24 Nov. 1997. Oct. 2001 http://www.serve.com/shea/germusa/3kings.htm.
Background from www.schoolicons.com
This web page was created by the Serra Catholic School Technology Team; November 2005.
Updated November 2006.
