THE ADVENT WREATH (ALL LEVELS)

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FOR THE TEACHER:

The curriculum makes specific reference to the

Advent wreath at Level 1. However, the wreath can

be used to help children of all ages understand the

movement through the four weeks of the season of

Advent.

Light has always been a symbol of hope in the darkness. We know that the people of the

Stone Age built Newgrange in such a way that the light of the rising sun enters the chamber

at the darkest time of the year. This was a sign for them that the light was beginning to

overcome the darkness. Long before Jesus was born the people of Eastern Europe made

wreaths of evergreen branches and added lighted candles as a sign of hope in the dark days

of winter. In northern European countries lights were placed on wheels and prayers were

offered to the god of light to turn the wheel of the earth back towards the sun.

By the 1500s Christians had adapted this tradition and were using Advent wreaths as part of

their preparation for Christmas. They were remembering what Jesus said, ‘I am the light of

the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ (Jn

8:12) By the 17

th

century the Advent wreath was used throughout Germany to mark the

time spent waiting for the birth of the Christ child at Christmas. From Germany this

tradition spread to the rest of the world.

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HE ADVENT WREATH EXPLAINED

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CIRCLE OF EVERGREEN

The wreath is circular in shape to show the everlasting love of God, a love that has no

beginning or end. Evergreen leaves such as holly, laurel, ivy, spruce or pine are used also

help us to remember that God loves us always. The kind of leaves used can also have a

meaning that can be related to our faith. Laurel leaves are signs of victory over persecution

and suffering. The prickly leaves of the holly can remind us of the crown of thorns worn by

Jesus.

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CANDLES THREE PURPLE AND ONE PINK

There is a candle to be lit at the beginning of each of the four weeks of Advent. There is also

a tradition that says that each week of Advent represents a thousand years, so that the four

weeks add up to the four thousand years from Adam and Eve until the birth of Jesus, the

saviour of the world.

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There are three purple candles. These remind us that Advent is a time when we are asked to

pray and to think about those areas of our lives where we need forgiveness. Purple is the

colour of repentance in the Church. During Advent people are invited to celebrate the

sacrament of reconciliation during parish Penitential Services.

The pink candle is lit on the Third Sunday of Advent which is also called Gaudete Sunday. This

means Joyful Sunday or the Sunday of Rejoicing. We rejoice because we are more than half

way through our preparation for Christmas and the birth of Jesus draws ever closer. On the

Third Sunday of Advent the Entrance Antiphon at Mass echoes the theme of rejoicing when

it proclaims; ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice. The Lord is always near.’ (Phil 4:4-5)

CLASSROOM RESOURCES

The following are suggestions for helping the children understand the Advent wreath and

the way it helps us to prepare for the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

ALL CLASSROOM TEACHERS: There are lots of different ways of making an

Advent wreath and many of these can be found in previous Advent Resources;

www.kandle.ie/resources/primary-resources/

THIRD – SIXTH CLASSES: This year you could make a traditional Advent wreath by

buying a florist’s wreath to use as a base. You will also need three purple and one pink

candles.

Collect the evergreen leaves for your wreath by taking the children on an ADVENT WALK.

Each classroom can make their own wreath and one class might take

responsibility for the school wreath to be placed in the school Prayer Space.

Invite your priest to bless all the Advent wreaths at a School Assembly on November 25 or

28. Use the Assembly at which Advent wreath are blessed resource on pages 7-9

ACTIVITIES

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NFANT TEACHERS: LEVEL 1

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UNIOR INFANTS: There is a picture of an Advent wreath to colour on page 4. Talk to

the children about the wreath, its shape, the significance of the four candles and the

colours used. Use the colouring activity to help consolidate their learning. Use the pictures

as part of your Advent Prayer Space.

SENIOR INFANTS:

Grow in Love Senior Infant Teacher Book (p92) has three options for making Advent

Wreaths. There is a picture of an Advent wreath to colour on page 19 of the senior infant

workbook. This is designed to be done at home.

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LEVEL 2

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IRST CLASS

Talk to the children about the Advent wreath, its shape and the significance of the four

candles as the way we count the four weeks during which we wait for Christmas. Talk about

the different colours of candles used and how they are lit in order. Use the activity on page

5 to consolidate learning. Consider sending home the page with a note asking

parents/guardians to help their child hang up their picture and colour a candle each week of

Advent.

SECOND CLASS: Chatting about the Advent wreath on page 99 of the

Grow in Love teacher book

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EVEL3 AND 4: Ask the children to do some research on the origins and history of the

Advent wreath. They can use the worksheet on page 6 to present their findings.

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5

Can you count the candles?

Circle the number: 1 2 3 4 5 6

What colour are the candles?

Circle the colours that you used:

Red Pink Yellow Purple Green

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THE ADVENT WREATH

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ISTORY AND ORIGINS

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ASSEMBLY AT WHICH ADVENT WREATHS ARE BLESSED

This Prayer Service can be used as a school assembly at which all of the Advent wreaths in the

school can be blessed or in individual classrooms. If your chaplain is available, you might invite

him to bless the wreath/s using holy water.

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EADER: We begin our prayer today as we begin all our prayer by

marking ourselves with the sign of our faith

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LL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit Amen

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EADER: This week the season of Advent begins. Advent helps us to

get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. We

have made Advent wreaths for our classroom/s and our

school to remind us that Jesus comes to bring light to the

darkness, the light of God’s love for each one of us.

Students carry in and place the advent wreaths in the designated place

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EADER 1: The Advent Wreath is in the shape of a circle because just

like a circle God’s live had no beginning and no end.

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EADER 2: There are evergreen leaves on our wreath because just like

these leaves that are always green, God’s love for us is

everlasting.

You Will Need

• Children to carry the Advent wreath/s

• Table/s on which to place the Advent wreaths

• Four A3 sized Signs

o Love

o Peace

o Joy

o Hope

• Four Children, one to hold each sign

• Six Readers

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LEADER: Lord our God, bless this wreath and bless all of us gathered

here today. May this wreath help us to focus on the coming

of Jesus as we journey through Advent. As we light the

candles each week may we be reminded of the love, peace,

joy and hope that Jesus brings into the world. We ask this

through Christ our Lord

.

ALL: AMEN

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TUDENT 1 HOLDS UP THE FIRST SIGN WITH WORD HOPE

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EADER 3: Today we light the first purple candle.

This candle reminds us that Jesus is our

hope that the light will come and

conquer the darkness

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IGHT THE FIRST PURPLE CANDLE

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EADER: Let us thank God for Jesus, the light of the world

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LL: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world

without end. Amen

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TUDENT 2 HOLDS UP THE SECOND SIGN WITH WORD PEACE

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EADER 4: Next week, we will light the first and the second purple

candles. The second purple candle represents the gift of

peace that Jesus brings to our world.

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EADER: Our world needs the peace that only Jesus can bring. Let us

pray for peace in the world and for all of us as we say:

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LL: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

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STUDENT 3 HOLDS UP THE THIRD SIGN WITH WORD JOY

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EADER 5: In two weeks, we will light three candles two purple and

one pink. The pink or rose-colored candle is for joy. Joy

because we know that that Jesus will soon be here.

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EADER: Lord Jesus, help us to wait in joyful hope for your coming at

Christmas. Together we pray…

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LL: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

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TUDENT 4 HOLDS UP THE FOURTH SIGN WITH WORD LOVE

Reader 6: As our Advent journey comes to an end we will light all four

candles. This final candle represents love. God loves us so

much that he gives us the gift of Jesus at Christmas. Jesus

came to show us how to live and love like children of God.

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EADER: We thank God for the gift of Jesus as we pray…

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LL: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

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EADER: Our Advent journey begins today and we pray that it will be

a time filled with hope, peace, joy and love as we wait for

the coming of the best gift of all, the gift of Jesus.

Let us bless the Lord

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LL: Thanks be to God

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LL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit: Amen