The Parish Church of St Peter

In our churches from this week we will have the Advent ring of five coloured candles, and will light one each week on our countdown to Christ's coming. Advent candles are purple and rose-coloured. Purple is the historic liturgical colour for three of the four Sundays in Advent: once the colour associated with royalty, it symbolises Christ as the Prince of Peace. Rose is the colour for the third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday from the Latin word for "rejoice". Gaudete Sunday anticipates the joy of the Christmas celebration, so its colour is a mixture of the Advent purple and Christmas white. Then at midgnight on Christmas Eve we light the central white candle, the "Christ Candle" celebrating the birth day of Jesus.