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Advent Wreath Optimization: Christmastide
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I love your attention to detail, Michael, as I just joined the MLT Club as my wife and I and our three daughters are all fans of the Twins, with the 5 eldest of our 6 grandkids being huge fans of the girls’ music. We’re from very Irish Catholic immigrant families in the Bronx, NY, with our grandparents all being from Ireland except for one of my wife’s forebears being from Germany. We’re all still Church goers and often attend Mass daily and the Advent Wreath is also an important part of our Christmas season. We do follow the pink candle lighting on the third Sunday of Advent and light the white candle in the center on Christmas Day as well. Our tree remains up through the Feast of the Epiphany, unlike so many who take it down after Christmas or just after New Years Day. Have a Blessed Christmas and we enjoy the interplay of Mona & Lisa as it reminds us so much of our twin girls who are now 38 years old and mothers of three children each. Slainte!
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Jack Houlihan, thank you, kind sir. It’s not perfect by a long shot, but a bit more in tune with the Reason for the season to have a working knowledge.
As noted, I’m very respectful of these Advent wreath traditions when they are of the handful of known faithful renderings. I grew up one way, and someone else grew up in another tradition, but they’re all trying to say the same thing; namely, the Advent wreath melts away, but the song remains the across the various wreath variations.
Whenever the mutable and immutable meet, there’s going to be mystery.
To me, that’s what makes it profound. I don’t understand how the alignment of the Shepherd’s candle works for the different liturgical color in force, but am in awe of the tradition, and ever-learning. I’m somewhere in the middle between the purple/Shepherd’s candle arrangement and the solid blue (all 4 candles are the same). I understand there is a solid red candle arrangement also, but as far as I can tell, it’s not associated with royalty, to the extent of my knowledge. There may be a good reason for red. At this point, it seems only purple and blue are valid starting points for aligning colors to calendars. Blue is difficult to substantiate, but there is enough there to make the case. Personally I like both variations, and could explain either of those 2 arrangements adequately and adopt both. They’re like twins. I could alternate years. Odd years are purple/Shepherd’s candle arrangements, and blue only candle wreaths are for even years (or something like that).
Purple is not a pure (not a primary) color. It’s a mixture. Yet it’s still expressive of royalty. It makes for good research questions.
That’s a neat comment about attention to detail. There are good reasons to get a strong Advent wreath tradition going if it’s out of practice. Among other benefits, it’s going to help spot a heresy, or, if someone is trying to make an Advent wreath into an idol. To me, Advent wreaths are intended to be anti-idolism but people are usually quite talented at idol-making. The Incarnation is mysterious. It almost goes without saying to practice gentleness and gracefulness in having an answer for the hope that’s in you when encountering Advent or Christmas wreaths, and you’ll experience joyfulness.
Blue is a pure (primary) color, as you know. I lean toward blue only candles because of the Chalcedon definition among other interesting aspects in support of blue.
There are 2 valid royal colors described throughout the Bible: Purple (as you know), and Blue (surprise). A lot of people aren’t aware of blue as a royal color these days, and there may be more to it but that’s the extent of my knowledge. However, knowing that really throws a curve ball at Advent wreath design or practice. If blue checks out (so far, so good), the overall approach to the Advent wreath has 2 variations of equal validity in regards to royalty as a concept expressed through color. As a result, I’m turning up some really, really neat research on blue as an alternative royal color for Advent wreath candles.
I’ve even seen blue Advent candles with the pink Shepherd’s candle arrangement.
As best as I can tell, royal blue was an Advent liturgical color in force as early as 800AD, but it wasn’t a plain Jane shade of blue. It was Sarum Blue, which we know today as Prussian Blue. That’s helpful in order to visualize it. The royal basis for blue comes from among others, Ezekiel 23:6. Several other places using blue for an expression of royalty confirms the validity of the Ezekiel narrative. There is some discrepancy with the Ezekiel passage, but it’s a language translation rule thing causing the apparent contradiction. Some translations have purple in that reference, but under closer scrutiny, it’s not an issue in the Hebrew.
The Incarnation defies mathematic explanation. How can He be 100% God and 100% Man at the same time? That’s a mind bender. It’s a fantastic historical development that has no compare. It may very well be that purple is the most appropriate. I take delight in the differences among the traditions.
Blue as an indication of royalty really has me thinking.
When we examine a shade of a primary color like blue, we can instantly isolate the wavelength at the nanometer level if it’s reflective, like white light reflecting off the surface of a blue candle. It would be a different matter if it were a light source. With reflective color, white light striking a colored surface is reflected to the eye minus the wavelength absorbed. The brain instantly sees all wavelengths at once and detects the missing wavelength (in this example 462nm) and interprets it as Prußian blue. You see blue.
It’s a great exercise to study Advent wreath traditions, and I gain a lot from it. It’s also great having you as a MLT Club neighbor. It’s almost Christmas Eve….
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The last hours of Advent 2021.
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OK here we go. The Advent wreath just became a Christmas wreath. The 12″ inner diameter wreath is the same for Advent and Christmastide (the optimization effect). The wreath’s basic operation doesn’t essentially change when transitioning from Advent to Christmastide, and this setup fits fine into the fireplace to guard against the fire hazard challenge.
The wreath sure looks great, and I’m tickled to get 12 more days out of it (or however long the 3″x9″ test candle lasts). As discussed, I’ll adjust the bees wax candle dimensions according to how long it lasts through this year’s Christmastide, which is for the next 288 hours.
As you can see from the below photographs, I set the timer at 0001 hours this morning.
There are 12 days to do as best I can for the MLT Club and band in keeping the right spirit. As most people are aware, you have to set yourself aside to serve others, and like a musical instrument, it takes practice and it’s a great time of year to practice. Am I the best Advent instrumentalist? Probably not but you guys sure make me feel like it.
It’s a great thing. I can’t tell you how different it is to have one of these candle wreaths in the household that’s the real thing. It’s so much better running it than just watching someone else. It does something to you when you take charge of putting the wreath together and operating it, and the whole mood of the house is uplifted.
Lasty, it’s worth mentioning that it’s the right kind of pride to have if you worked hard at getting the Advent and/or Christmastide wreath operational, but it’s also easy to become proud in the wrong way. You have to catch yourself. When someone comes along with a variation, they’re trying to say the same thing with their Advent wreath tradition, so be prepared to appreciate and take delight in the difference. If you do that, I can only say my experience in life in these moments is a big smile and unbelievable joy.
My hope is in eternal life because life on Earth is like a vapor, here and gone. It seems I was a kid only yesterday and that’s gone. The Christ in Christmas is where I place my trust, and I do sense eternal life in each and every Advent. I hope you do too.
Mike
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The Advent Wreath and candle setup is beautiful Mike. Hope you keep getting better with the musical instrument for the Christmastide.
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Why thank you kind sir, Mr. Jung. Gosh, Mona and Lisa really like you, and appreciate what you do for MLT Club. That’s worth more than anything.
Thanks again, because I was worried it wouldn’t turn out well, but it’s a test candle to mark time from anyway, but it looks great as you noticed. For sure, it will take more than a 3″ x 9″ beeswax candle to get to 288 hours. This candle already burned half an inch in 12 hours.
Here are some initial projections:
1st Week Advent Candle Continuous Burn Time Requirement is 4 Sundays * 24 Hours = 96 Hours
2nd Week Advent Candle Continuous Burn Time Requirement is 3 Sundays * 24 Hours = 72 Hours
3rd Week Advent Candle Continuous Burn Time Requirement is 2 Sundays * 24 Hours = 48 Hours
4th Week Advent Candle Continuous Burn Time Requirement is 1 Sunday * 24 Hours = 24 HoursQuestion: Can identical appearance and identical dimension (Advent) candlesticks yield a significantly different end-state (speed of burn) to accomodate expected candle unevenness caused by the order of when they are to be lighted? Answer: Yes.
This might work, but will require further testing —
Candle 1: 3″ x 12″ Purple or Prußen Blue (51% bees wax)
Candle 2: 3″ x 12″ Purple or Prußen Blue (25% bees wax)
Candle 3: 3″ x 12″ Pink or Prußen Blue (100% Stearine)
Candle 4: 3″ x 12″ Purple or Prußen Blue (100% Paraffin Slow Drip Type)Christ candle continuous burning requirement is 12 days * 24 hours = 288 Hours for wreath optimization (Advent + Christmastide using the same wreath)
Christ candle: White 100% bees wax 6″ x 12″ for 288 hours (future estimated candle dimension needed for 288 continuous hours)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0XoS2LJQs
English Translation
Oh, holy night, the stars are brightly shining, it is the night of the dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining, until he appeared, and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morning
Chorus
Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices, oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born, oh night, oh holy night: Oh night divine
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming with glowing hearts by his cradle we stand
So, led by light of a star sweetly gleaming here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger, in all our trials born to be our friend
Chorus
He knows our need, to our weakness no stranger, behold your King before Him lowly bend, behold your King your King your King before him bend Truly
He taught us to love one another
His law is Love and His gospel is Peace
Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother and in his name all oppression shall cease and in his name all oppression cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we, let all within us praise his Holy name
Chorus
Christ is the Lord, then ever praise we
His power and glory, evermore proclaim
His power and glory, evermore proclaimGerman Translation
Oh, Heilige Nacht
Oh, heilige Nacht, die Sterne funkeln hell,Es ist die Nacht in der der Retter geboren wurde!
Lange suhlte sich die Welt in Sünde und Irrtum,
Bis Er erschien und seine Seele ihren Wert erkannte.
Ein Gefühl der Hoffnung und die erschöpften Seelen frohlocken,
Denn in der Ferne bricht ein neuer Morgen an.
Fallet auf eure Knie, oh, höret der Engel Stimmen!
Oh, göttliche Nacht, oh Nacht, in der Christus geboren wurde!
Oh, Nacht, oh heilige Nacht, oh, göttliche Nacht!
Geführt vom Licht eines lieblich funkelnden Sterns
Kamen drei Weise aus dem Morgenland.Da lag der König der Könige in niederer Krippe,
Geboren, um uns in allen Prüfungen Freund zu sein!
Fallet auf eure Knie, oh, höret der Engel Stimmen!
Oh, göttliche Nacht, oh Nacht, in der Christus geboren wurde!
Oh, Nacht, oh heilige Nacht, oh, göttliche Nacht!
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