St. Peter’s Church Christmas Tree 2025

This year, in creating our Christmas tree, we have gone with the colours of Advent, but what does this mean and what do the colours represent?

The word ‘Advent’ means – Coming, or Arrival. It is the beginning of the Christian liturgical year. An opportunity to take time and reflect on the birth of Jesus. However, in this modern world it often becomes a time of stress, there’s so much to do that there hardly seems time to remember to put Christ into Christmas.

In church the process of awaiting his birth is started by stripping it of all adornment, foregoing flowers and by using the symbolic colours of purple and rose pink in clerical vestments during this time. These colours are also reflected in the candles used on the Advent wreath, with an additional white candle, but what do these colours mean?

Purple is for penance, preparation and waiting. It traditionally reminded

people to prepare for Christ’s birth by turning away from sin. It was a time

of denial, fasting and reflection. It is also the colour of royalty.

Pink is for joy and rejoicing. It symbolises that in this traditional time of

denial, there is the joyful anticipation of what’s to come.

White – represents the purity of Christ and acknowledges that He is the

Light of the World.

In the Church of England tradition, the four Sundays advise us of those who prepared for the coming of Christ.

The first candle is purple, and represents ‘Hope’ (The Patriarchs - focusing on

Abraham, our father in faith, and David, the ancestor in whose city Jesus was

born)

The second is also purple, which represents ‘Peace’ (The Prophets – giving us an

opportunity to reflect on the way the birth of the Messiah was ‘foretold’).

The third week is rose pink and represents ‘Joy’. (John the Baptist - who proclaimed the Saviour) It is often called Gaudete Sunday, or Rose Sunday.

The fourth week, again is purple and represents ‘Love’, (The Virgin Mary – the mother of Jesus) this completes the picture.

The fifth candle is white - the Christ candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to celebrate his birth.

We decided to use these colours, when creating our last tree for the church, to remind us of the importance of preparation and anticipation, reflection and symbolism, as we expectantly await the joy that is to come.

As usual, we have hand made several of the tree decorations, and hope that in the past three years we have brought a smile to your faces with the trees we have lovingly created.

We wish you all a happy, peaceful and blessed Christmas and New Year.

Christa Lindner, Linda Stratford & Tasha Tansley