Tree Talk: The quiet of Advent

There is Thanksgiving, and there is Christmas. But there is an entire season that fills the weeks between, a time meant for quiet anticipation and preparation for the Nativity.

The Christmas tree is undoubtedly the most iconic image of the holiday season and many people display their tree as part of Thanksgiving décor, continuing throughout December. It's hard to wait.

Traditionally, Christmas trees and decorations were put up on Christmas eve and were not taken down until after Epiphany – the culmination of the Twelve Days of Christmas. That is when there were no artificial trees or greens available to extend the season for a month or more as is commonly done now.

The most common Advent symbol is the Advent wreath, a custom that originated in the 17th century in

Germany – also the origin of the Christmas tree tradition. The greens that make up the wreath, as well as the circular form of the wreath, are symbolic of everlasting life and the unending nature of God's love for us. The addition of holly, with its prickly leaves, represents the Crown of Thorns, and pine cones represent the Resurrection, because they contain the seeds of a new tree and therefore of new life.

Advent wreath candles are placed in a circle within the wreath and correspond to the four Sundays of Advent. The four candles also represent the 4,000 years from Adam to the birth of the Messiah. Three of the candles are purple, a color symbolic of royalty and repentance. A fourth candle is rose-colored and is lit on the third Sunday, or Laetare Sunday, the point at which we can see that Advent is more than halfway over; it is a reminder of the world's joy at the birth of Jesus. Sometimes a fifth white candle is placed in the center of the wreath to represent Christmas. Candles and the light they produce reflect the light that came into the world with the birth of Jesus Christ.

Finding quiet in the midst of preparation for Christmas is a challenge. Let peace be with you as we focus on the real reason for the season.