Sunday 2 December 2012

Advent


Today is the first Sunday of Advent and it is a tradition to prepare an Advent 'wreath' the day before.  Containing four candles, it marks the Sundays leading up to Christmas Day.  This year I am joining with quite a few people here in Germany by submitting a few photographs of it to Markus at Teacup in the Garden. I am excited because he will be posting them next Sunday.
Despite a dreadful cold at present, I have soldiered on regardless and finished it in good time.

However, I still wanted to share my wreath on my own blog.

So here it is:

This year I started off with an old copper jam making pan, a large ceramic dish and the Advent Candle Stand:

I left the outside of the copper pan uncleaned as I wanted to retain the tarnished 'look'.  That way it didn't scream out 'look at me everyone, I'm a newly polished pot!' It is taking a much more muted, secondary role in this particular production!

I then packed in some florist foam and tried out the wreath frame and the candles:


Unfortunately, I could not get any purple or pink candles this year in our village which was a shame as these are the traditional colours for Advent.  I purchased three red candles and one ivory one instead:

The reason for the three-and-one-colours?  The three same-coloured candles are known as 'the Prophet', 'the Bethlehem', and 'the Angel' candle, in that order. The single-coloured candle is the Shepherd Candle which is lit third in succession. 

So first the Prophet, then the Bethlehem, then the Shepherd, and finally, on the Sunday before Christmas Day, the Angel candle.


Usually I use branches of fir for my wreath.  They always look very 'proper'.  This time I wanted the finished product to look a little 'wild' and untamed, when placed within the context of our sittingroom; and so I chose cedar and left the branches untrimmed.

Then some reddish/purplish Christmas decoration which are somewhat similar to the pinecones one finds on a Korean Fir.



I also scattered some gold stars to represent the Star of Bethlehem.

Most of the greenery is cypress but I wound some larch branches around the base of the candles because it provides a contrasting shade of green:


And when I had finished the wreath, it looked like this:


I hope you like it!

P.S.
I have been experimenting with watermarking my photographs.  I am not sure that I like it.  It looks much better when others do it. . . Maybe next time I shall just put my blog name on it.

P.P.S.
The first candle has been lit:

26 comments:

  1. Dear Kirk - your splendid wreath looks very much at home in your sitting room.
    When you are watermarking, you could try using handwriting which is found by scrolling further town the text section, and then fade the writing. When you fade it the picture shows through the writing and does look like a watermark and not so obvious. Hope that is of some help.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Rosemary,
      Fading the watermark - good idea. I am very much a novice at such things so I am your eager student.
      Bye for now
      Kirk

      Delete
  2. Hello Kirk, I am not good at creating such arrangements. Your step-by-step description of the creation of this one shows how much knowledge and planning really goes into it. I really like the untrimmed look of the greens, which make this look particularly inviting. I also like the whitish bloom on the candles, which prevents any commercial look to them.

    By the way, I much prefer the simpler watermark on the photos--it is much classier and more elegant, and does the same job as the longer caption.

    --Road to Parnassus

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Jim,

      I'm glad you like this style of wreath. At first I thought I wouldn't like it because it is not the type I normally make but when it was finished I found that it looked great (in my humble opinion!).
      Yes I dislike the look of commercialism. These candles are handmade.

      And thank you for your comment regarding watermarking. I am taking on board Rosemary's advice which I think will allow things to work better. I was finding that captions are okay at first but look a bit silly after a while.

      Classier and elegant: I like that!

      Kirk

      Delete
  3. Dear Kirk,

    I have enjoyed the whole process of your industrious and well-planned weekend project. And I like the final result and how it complements your living room. (It looks as though you've moved into Sandringham, is that possible?)

    I agree with Jim that the shorter watermark looks more professional.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Mark,

      I always enjoy creating the Advent Wreath. Once it is complete I begin to feel 'Christmassy'.

      Sandringham? I'm thinking more 'Windsor'...

      PS
      'Professional' when added to classy and elegant makes for a winning combination!

      Delete
  4. Hi, Kirk - I hope you are feeling better. Thank you for sharing this Advent wreath project with us. I learned so much! And I can't wait to see all the candles lit....will be beautiful!

    I like Rosemary's suggestions for watermarking. I'm thinking of doing the same.
    Loi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Loi, I am feeling better now but it was one of those colds that knock you all over the place!

      Making the Advent wreath is a special part of my faith as it reminds me, in its creating, of all that Christmas really stands for.

      I think it is a good idea to watermark and I am going to finetune my first bumbling efforts thank in keeping with Rosemary's advice - and keeping it classy, elegant and professional as suggested by Jim and Mark.

      What a lot of nice friends I am making in the blogging world!

      Kirk

      Delete
  5. The wreath is very handsome, particularly with the stout candles. As you're in Germany, you are probably aware of this, but similar wreaths with more slender candles are worn as crowns by girls and young women in Santa Lucia (Lucia = light) celebrations in Scandinavia during the pre-Christmas season. I this custom also observed in Germany?

    Hope you're better very soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank Will, I'm glad you like the wreath. You are right, stout candles are much better for this sort of wreath. Slender ones would have got lost among the greenery.

      Yes I did know about the St Lucia crowns. They don't do that here in Germany that I know of. We do however have a visit from St Martin in early November. He parades through every town and village in Germany on his white horse, first as a Roman soldier who then gives half of his cloak to a poor man, Then as an old bishop with a long white beard, blessing everyone he passes.
      Special songs are songs at this time including 'lanterne lanterne'. Every German knows these songs. You can see them being sung on youtube if you take a look!

      I like little traditions like this.

      Delete
  6. How beautiful! What alovely tradition. Thanks for sharing the photos. Reggie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Reggie,
      I always think that traditions are like the gift wrapping that makes the 'gift' all that more special.
      Kirk

      Delete
  7. Loving your blog Kirk, esp getting snippets of your beautiful home in the last 2 posts. I particularly love your clocks. Well done on your advent wreath. Advent is a lovely time of year with its introspection and anticipation, and provides a meaningful contrast to the commercial drive surrounding Christmas.
    David.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you David for your kind comments.
    I am glad that you are enjoying my blog. I enjoy reading yours too!
    Advent is indeed a lovely time of year. It is a time of very pleasant memories for me.

    ReplyDelete
  9. So elegant! And I really enjoyed learning about the symbolism. I also love the beautiful "backdrop" you created for your advent candle!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks Mitchell,
    Yes I am rather partial to that backdrop - I am also rather partial to the man who created it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I didn`t know the names of the four candles before-thank you for sharing this project.
    From Berlin,
    Jo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jo, and thank you for your visit. Yes the history and the tradition behind such things, is what makes them all the more special.
      Kirk

      Delete
  12. Dear Kirk,

    Your Livingroom is very romantically, I wish I can sit on the Chair and look on yuor advent wreath, it ist very nice, I love it.
    lovely advent greatings from Germany
    Irmi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Irmi,
      I like our living room. You can come by and sit in there any time!
      Thank you for visiting my blog.
      Kirk

      Delete
  13. Hi Kirk,

    You have astounded me! Your wreath looks beautiful. I like your living room very much too. It's like stepping back in time. It has a very Bohemian feel to it, which I like very much! I hope you had a lovely day today?! I was outside for only half an hour. It was so terribly cold and windy. Better to stay inside and enjoy the fire and Christmas decorations :-)

    Have a lovely new week!

    Madelief x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Madelief,Thank you for your kind comments. I do like Christmas Wreaths and I like the traditional look. I am glad you like it too.
      Bohemian - yes it does have a look of that about it. It is certainly very comfortable especially when it is cold outside and cosy warm within.
      Kirk

      Delete
  14. Very beautiful! And the story from the candles is very interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you vincibene, I am glad you liked it and I am glad you visited my blog too. Come by any time!
      Kirk

      Delete
  15. Dear Kirk,
    What a cozy and beautiful post--thank you! It's so nice to emerge from the bindery and treat myself to your blog... It has provided not only enjoyment on an aesthetic level, but also much-needed inspiration to slow down and enjoy the spiritual and contemplative season. Your Advent wreath is absolutely wonderful and is the perfect centerpiece for your lovely sitting room--what an inviting place!
    Warm regards,
    Erika

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Erika,
      Thank you for your kind words. Please drop by any time you like!
      I must admit that on cold wintery days like today, it is always nice to think of what is waiting for us at home. This weekend I will be decorating the Christmas Tree and then all will be complete!
      Bye for now
      Kirk

      Delete