In Germany people celebrate Christmas time by lighting a candle on the four sundays leading to Christmas Eve - first one, then two, then three, then four. Differently, in Ireland the Advent wreath has five candles. Moreover, there are specific colour rules. Three of the candles are purple, one is pink, and in the middle of the wreath is a white candle. On the first two sundays of Advent, two purple candles are lit. On the third Advent, the pink candle will burn as a sign of joyful anticipation of the feast. The last purple candle is lit on the fourth sunday of Advent, and the white candle is lit on Christmas Day and the time after. The basic idea of the Advent wreath goes back to the theologian Johann H. Wichern, who made a wooden wreath with candles from an old wagon wheel for the orphans of Hamburg in the mid-19th century. He used it to mark the days from the first Advent to Christmas Eve. A new candle was lit every day, and a particularly large one every sunday. By this, the children learned to count and always knew how many days were left until Christmas.

Since then, the Advent wreath has become an essential part of the Christmas Season and is lovingly decorated year after year. But it doesn't always have to be a classic model. Creative "wreaths" that are decorated on a large, festive plate in the style of a flower arrangement are also popular. Let our idea for a festive Advent wreath inspire you. In just a few steps you can create a very individual arrangement that will shorten the waiting time until Christmas Eve in a wonderful way.