The Advent wreath holds four candles, one for each Sunday before Christmas, plus an optional white Christ candle in the middle. Many churches light them in this order: hope, peace, joy (the pink candle) and love, then the Christ candle on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The wreath itself is not in the Bible, but its message is: Jesus is "the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9).
Every December, millions of families and churches light one more candle each Sunday until the whole wreath is glowing. It is a simple way to count down to Christmas and remember that God kept His promise to send a Saviour. If you are new to the tradition, you may wonder what each candle means, which one comes first and why one is pink. In 2026, Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, so the candles fall on November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20, with the Christ candle on Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) or Christmas Day. Customs vary, and that is fine. Some light purple candles, some blue. Some name the candles hope, peace, joy and love; others use prophecy, Bethlehem, shepherds and angels. The Bible does not command an Advent wreath, so no version is the only right one. What matters is what the light points to. The twelve King James verses below follow the wreath from the first flame to the last: why Scripture uses candles at all, the four Sunday themes and the Christ candle. To read along each week, print our free Advent candle printable, with a reading, questions and a prayer for every Sunday. For more verses, see Bible verses about Advent.
Why candles? Light and lamps in the Bible
1. Luke 11:33
"No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light."
Jesus used an ordinary household picture: nobody lights a candle and then hides it. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place. A lit candle belongs on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The Advent wreath sits in the open, on the table or at the front of the church, so everyone who comes in sees one more flame each week. The good news of Christmas is meant to be shared.
2. Proverbs 20:27
"The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly."
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD. In Bible times a candle was really a small oil lamp, and Solomon pictured God's light shining into the deepest parts of a person, searching all the inward parts. Advent is a season of honest preparation, not only excitement. Lighting a candle can be a quiet moment to ask God what needs to change before Christmas, and to welcome Him in.
3. Exodus 27:20
"And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always."
In the tabernacle, God told Israel to bring pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. The lamp in God's house was never meant to go out. An Advent wreath has the same rhythm: the candle is lit again week after week, and each Sunday the light grows. Faithfulness looks like that. We keep coming back to God's presence, and He keeps the light burning through the long dark evenings of December.
4. Revelation 1:12-13
"And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle."
When John saw the risen Jesus, he first saw seven golden candlesticks, and then in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man. The candlesticks stood for churches (Revelation 1:20), and Christ stood in the middle of them. That is a helpful way to see a wreath with a Christ candle at its center: the outer candles are about waiting, and the center is the One we wait for. Jesus is not on the edge of Christmas. He is the middle of it.
The four Sunday candles: hope, peace, joy and love
5. Isaiah 8:17
"And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him."
The first candle is usually called the candle of hope, and some churches call it the prophecy candle. Isaiah lived in a dark time, but he wrote, I will wait upon the LORD... and I will look for him. Biblical hope is not wishful thinking. It is waiting with your eyes on God because He has promised to come. When you light the first purple candle on November 29, you join that long line of hopeful people who kept watching for the Lord.
6. Ephesians 2:17
"And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh."
The second candle is often the candle of peace, sometimes called the Bethlehem candle. Paul says Jesus came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. Peace in the Bible starts with peace with God, and from there it reaches into homes. The angels sang of on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:14). As you light two candles on December 6, pray for peace in your heart, your family and the places in the world that need it.
7. Isaiah 35:2
"It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God."
The third candle is the pink or rose candle, lit on the third Sunday of Advent (December 13, 2026). Many churches call it the candle of joy or the shepherds' candle. It marks a turn from waiting toward rejoicing, because Christmas is close. Isaiah pictured the desert bursting into flower: It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. The verse before it says the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose (Isaiah 35:1), which is a lovely link to the rose-colored candle.
8. 1 John 4:11
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."
The fourth candle is commonly the candle of love, sometimes called the angels' candle. John writes, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. The words God so loved echo the most famous verse in the Bible: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" (John 3:16). Christmas is God's love made visible. On December 20, as four candles burn, show that love in practical ways: a visit, a gift for someone in need or a call to someone alone.
The Christ candle: the light has come
9. John 1:9
"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."
Many families add a fifth, white candle in the center of the wreath and light it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It is called the Christ candle. John's Gospel explains it in one line: That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. White stands for purity and celebration. After four weeks of purple and pink, the white candle says the waiting is over. The Light the prophets promised has come into the world, and He came for everyone.
10. Luke 11:36
"If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."
Jesus described a life full of light, having no part dark, like a room lit by the bright shining of a candle. On Christmas Eve, with all five candles burning, the whole room is bright. Jesus does not want to light one small corner of our lives. He wants to fill all of it. As you light the Christ candle, you might pray that every part of the coming year, your home, work, worries and plans, will be full of His light.
11. Psalms 97:11
"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart."
Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Sown is a farming word: light and gladness are seeds God plants that come up in their season. On the wreath, too, the light grows one candle at a time. If this December feels heavy for you, this verse is a gentle promise that God is planting light and gladness even when you cannot yet see them come up.
12. 1 Thessalonians 5:5
"Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day. The Advent wreath is not only about Jesus coming as a baby. It also looks ahead to His promised return, which Paul describes in the verses just before this one. Christians live between the two comings, as children of light. When Christmas is over and the candles are packed away, the light stays. Some families keep the Christ candle to light again on special days.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the true Light that came into the world. As we light these candles one by one, fill us with hope while we wait, peace that comes from You, joy that cannot be taken away and love that reaches out to others. Search our hearts and prepare them for Christmas. Keep Your light burning in our home through every dark evening of this season, and let it shine through us to everyone who comes in. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Print our free Advent candle printable with a reading for each Sunday · Follow the free Advent reading plan from November 29 to Christmas · Color the free Christian Christmas coloring pages with your children
Frequently asked questions
What is the order of the Advent candles?
The most common order is hope (first Sunday), peace (second Sunday), joy (third Sunday, the pink candle) and love (fourth Sunday). Some churches use the order hope, love, joy, peace, or name the candles the prophecy, Bethlehem, shepherds and angels candles. The white Christ candle in the center is lit last, on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Follow your church's custom, or choose one order for your family. Our free Advent candle printable includes a candle tracker and a page for each 2026 Sunday.
Why is one Advent candle pink?
Three Advent candles are traditionally purple (or blue), the color of royalty and of quiet preparation. The pink or rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, which many churches call Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for rejoice. It marks a lighter, more joyful turn because Christmas is near. If you cannot find a pink candle, any color works. The meaning is in what you read and pray. For joy verses, see Bible verses about joy.
Is the Advent wreath in the Bible?
No. The Bible never mentions an Advent wreath or Advent candles. The custom grew up in Germany, and its modern form is often traced to the 1800s. But the symbols are full of Scripture: light, waiting, and the promise of a coming King. Isaiah wrote, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light" (Isaiah 9:2). Christians are free to use the wreath or not. See Bible verses about light.
What do you read when you light the Advent candles?
Most families read a short Bible passage, say a sentence about the theme and pray. For example, on the first Sunday read Isaiah 8:17 or Isaiah 40:3, light the hope candle and pray for patience to wait on God. Our Advent candle printable has a reading, talk-about-it questions for different ages and a family prayer for each Sunday and for the Christ candle. For something every day, use the free Advent reading plan.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Advent · Christmas · Light · Hope · Peace · Joy · Waiting on God · Christmas Day
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