The practice emanated from the religious fires that were lit during the end of November and the beginning of December to offset the darkness of the short days of the oncoming winter season.

Eventually, German Lutherans replaced these fires with evergreen wreaths adorned with candles in the 16th century. The Advent wreath wasn't adopted by Catholics until the 1920s, and it came to North America in the 1930s and continued to spread with the liturgical movement of the 1940s and 1950s.

But, what does it mean? Evergreen was chosen as a sign of hope, renewal and eternal life, since evergreens remain vibrant and green even during the winter months.

The wreath is circular to show that God's love is eternal, without beginning or end.

The four candles are indicative of the four weeks of Advent in preparation for the light of Christ to enter the world on Christmas Day. As such, one candle is lit during each week of Advent.

There are three purple candles for weeks one, two and four, and one pink candle for week three.

The four candles represent Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Each week focuses on these specific themes as we prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

• The first candle, called the Prophecy Candle, represents hope and the anticipation of Christ's coming. It reminds us of the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah and the hope He brings to the world.
• The second candle, the Bethlehem Candle, symbolizes peace and preparation, reflecting Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and the peace that Christ's birth brings.
• The third candle, the pink candle called the Shepherds' Candle, represents the joy felt by the shepherds upon hearing the news of the birth of our Lord, as well as the joy we have in anticipation of His return.
• The fourth candle, the Angel's Candle, symbolizes love and the message of God's love that the angels announced at Christ's birth. 

The purple candles for the first, second and fourth Sundays of Advent symbolize the penitential and reflective nature of the Advent season. Purple is also associated with royalty, that is, Christ the King.

The candle on the third Sunday, called "Gaudete" Sunday (Latin: rejoice), is pink or rose-colored to indicate the joyful nature of the upcoming birth of Jesus. This color is used to brighten the purple colors of Advent. On this Sunday, the priest's vestments are also pink or rose-colored to represent this joy.

All in all, the meaning of the Advent wreath and its light is a vibrant sign of Christ's promise of eternal salvation.