Why a Pink Candle?

Most folks quickly spot the odd candle in the Advent Wreath. Three violet candles and a white one (for Christmas Eve and Day), and that strange pink one. What is that all about?

In the earliest stages of developing the liturgical calendar, Advent was a somewhat longer season of 40 days duration, prior to Christmas. In this fact and in its penitential tone Advent was very much like Lent. To break up the solemnity of the season, and to remind the people of the joy to come, a mid-season liturgical respite as it were, was included. On this day the readings, in both Lent and Advent, have a slightly more hopeful and anticipatory tone to them. Other liturgical elements reflected this quality of joy.

Advent was ultimately shortened to 4 weeks, but for many traditions, the “mid-season stretch” was maintained on the third Sunday. In many liturgies the opening word of worship on this Sunday was “Gaudete,” Latin for “rejoice.” The whole Introit statement is based on Philippians 4.4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” In many traditions even today, this passage from Philippians is the appointed Epistle reading for the Third Sunday of Advent.

In keeping with the shift in tone from sobriety to this joy-filled day, other aspects of worship were also skewed slightly. In places that the organ was silent during Advent it might be used on this day. In churches where the liturgical color for Advent was violet, it might be relieved by shifting to rose or pink on this day. Thus, the change in color for the third candle of the Advent wreath. (Impress your friends at work when talking about your church’s Advent observance: use “rose” to describe the color; you’ll be ever-so liturgically correct!)

As with many other aspects of liturgical tradition, there are plenty of misunderstandings of the rose candle for Advent III. While oftentimes charming, they are usually misguided attempts to re-interpret the tradition in a “non-Catholic” way. There is no need for this. And the deeper significance of the tradition is shrouded. Who ought not embrace the notion of a bit of joy during the observance of the season of Advent? No one, of course!

Note this also: many folks take great care to "interpret" the candles of the Advent wreath. We give them lots of names or have them "stand for" many different ideals or virtues. Keep in mind that the wreath and its candles are nothing more (and nothing less) than a means of keeping time through the season. It may be just a little quaint, and not really necessary, to name the candles. In the ages before folks were ruled by calendars and clocks, the candles helped the people in the pews know where they were in liturgical time. Many Protestants these days call them the candles of "hope, joy, love and peace." Nice enough, but not accurate historically, and not needful at all. In fact, this year in our congregation the candles are really nameless! The candles are be lit by various characters in our faith history (Isaiah, John the Baptist, the angel who spoke to Joseph, and the angel who spoke to the shepherds). So for our use we might call the candles by the name of the person lighting them each week. But even that is not needed. They are time keepers. Nothing else is really needed.

Armed with this little bit of history, you can joyfully appreciate the use of the rose candle in the Advent wreath, and celebrate with liturgical Christians everywhere the fact that Advent is hastening on.