Hamburg's Advent wreath: The origin of a shining tradition!

Hamburg's Advent wreath: The origin of a shining tradition!

When it comes to contemplative anticipation of Christmas, many people inevitably think of the Advent wreath. Did you know that this custom has its roots in Hamburg almost 200 years ago? In 1839, the Protestant theologian Johann Hinrich Wichern invented the Advent wreath to make the waiting time until Christmas Eve more pleasant for the children in his orphanage. Loud T Online Back then, Wichern sat on a large wagon wheel that was decorated with a total of 24 candles, four large white ones for the Advent Sundays and smaller red ones for the days in between.

But who was this Johann Hinrich Wichern actually? Wichern, born in Hamburg in 1808, was the eldest of seven children and grew up in modest circumstances. After his father's death, he followed in the footsteps of responsibility at an early age and at the age of 15 looked after his family as a private teacher. He later got his high school diploma and studied theology, like that NDR describes.

A ray of hope in dark times

Wichern's original concept of the Advent wreath had a lot to do with time; he wanted to spread a message of hope and community at a time of great social distress. The burning candles stood for light in the darkness and symbolized faith and the anticipation of Christmas. So they lit another candle every day until finally all the lights were burning on Christmas Eve. This tradition was not just a nice gesture, but an important part of education and togetherness in the orphanage.

Over the years the Advent wreath has evolved. Originally, the large shape of the wreath was rather impractical for private households, which is why a more compact version with only four candles was created, which is now known worldwide.

A legacy that lives on

From around 1860, the Advent wreath was also decorated with fir green, which gave it a beautifully decorative character in the festive atmosphere. Even though the tradition began in Hamburg, it has now found its way into living rooms all over the world. In Hamburg itself, large traditional Advent wreaths, such as those on the town hall or on the Michel, are a wonderful reminder of Wichern's invention.

Johann Hinrich Wichern was not only the inventor of the Advent wreath, but also laid the foundation for the diakonia system and modern social education. He was a man of action who spent his life helping the weaker and those in need, which also brought him numerous acquaintances with important personalities of his time, such as the theologian Schleiermacher and the doctor Nikolaus Heinrich Julius.

So the spirit of Wichern, a true human savior, lives on even in the contemplative time of Advent. His idea of ​​the Advent wreath remains to this day a symbol of hope and anticipation of what is to come, in keeping with his original aim of bringing light and joy to children.