What Should We Do With the Advent Wreath After Christmas Day?

I regularly receive requests from church pastors, musicians, and worship leaders to provide meditations for lighting the Advent wreath and Christ candle on the Sunday(s) after Christmas. Some years there is only one Sunday after Christmas before Epiphany begins, and some years there are two. In 2004, for instance, Christmas was on a Saturday, and there were two Sundays after Christmas — December 26 and January 2.In 2005, Christmas fell on a Sunday and therewas only one — January 1. Churches continue to observe the themes of Christmastide right up until Epiphany on January 6, and some continue to light the Advent wreath and Christ candle as part of that.

My own opinion is that this makes for bad liturgy and symbolism. The purpose of the Advent candles is to help us mark the four Sundays and weeks leading up to Christmas. It is to help us recall and experience again the purpose and themes of Advent without jumping early into Christmas. Those themes include waiting, longing, hoping, preparing for the first and second comings of Christ, hearing the familiar words of the prophets, pondering the visit of the angel and the responses of Mary and Joseph, and more.

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we again light the four Advent candles plus the Christ candle, signifying that Christ has come and the promise has been fulfilled. It is the lighting of the Christ candle that moves us from Advent into Christmas. There is no longer a reason to recall the Advent themes, for now Jesus is born. Our Advent waiting, longing, hoping, and preparing are now replaced by Christmas celebration, joy, and fulfillment. The best use of the Advent wreath, candles, and Christ candle after Christmas Eve or Christmas Day is to leave the wreath with the four Advent candles unlit, now lighting only the Christ candle. The presence of the wreath and Advent candles reminds us of the four-week journey of preparation, but during the Christmas season we will continue to read Scriptures, sing carols and songs, and hear sermons on the meaning of the Incarnation and Jesus' presence among us. There is no longer any reason to hear the Advent meditations and recall so vividly the Advent symbolism, other than perhaps in a silent way as we leave those candles unlit.