11 Advent Wreath Prayers (2026): Blessing and a Prayer for Each Week

Advent wreath prayers begin with a short blessing of the wreath on the First Sunday of Advent. After that, one more candle is lit each week, with a prayer asking Christ to come. In 2026 the four Sundays are November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20, and Christmas falls on a Friday.

Below you will find the blessing of the wreath, a traditional prayer and a short candle-lighting prayer for each week, a daily prayer for the table, and a prayer for Christmas. We also explain what the candles and colors mean, so you can share it with children and grandchildren.

What is an Advent wreath?

An Advent wreath is a circle of evergreen branches holding four candles, one for each Sunday of Advent. As the weeks pass and more candles are lit, the light grows, a sign that Christmas is coming closer. Each part of it means something:

• The circle has no beginning and no end. It reminds us of God’s eternal love and of the eternal life Christ offers.
• The evergreens stay green through winter, a sign of hope and new life.
• The candles recall Christ, the Light of the World. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
• The growing light recalls the prophecy of Isaiah: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:1).

The modern wreath took shape in Germany in the 1800s and quickly spread among Catholic families. The Church provides a rite for blessing it, and many parishes place a large wreath in the sanctuary.

The Advent wreath is a sacramental: a holy sign the Church gives to prepare us to receive grace and to make ordinary life holy (CCC 1667–1670). It doesn’t work by itself. Its value comes from the prayer and attention to Christ it leads us to.

What do the Advent candle colors mean?

Most wreaths have three violet (purple) candles and one rose (pink) candle. Their colors match the vestments the priest wears at Mass.

Sunday	2026 date	Candle	Meaning
First Sunday of Advent	November 29	Violet	Watchful waiting, hope
Second Sunday of Advent	December 6	Violet	Preparation, repentance
Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete)	December 13	Rose	Joy, the Lord is near
Fourth Sunday of Advent	December 20	Violet	Love, the coming of Emmanuel

Violet is the color of prayer, penance and preparation. Advent is a quieter, more penitential season, though it is gentler than Lent.

Rose is lit on the Third Sunday, called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “rejoice” in Latin, the first word of that Sunday’s entrance antiphon. It comes from St. Paul: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Halfway through the season, the Church pauses to rejoice that the Lord is near.

Many families give the candles names, such as Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Others use Prophecy, Bethlehem, Shepherds and Angels. These are popular customs, not official rules, and either is a good way to teach children.

How to bless and light an Advent wreath at home

You need no special training to begin. A simple pattern works for any household:

1. Gather the family near the wreath, ideally on the evening of the First Sunday of Advent (Saturday evening is fine too).
2. Begin with the Sign of the Cross. If you like, read a short Scripture passage, such as Isaiah 9:1–6 or the Gospel of that Sunday.
3. Bless the wreath with the prayer below. If you have holy water, you may sprinkle the wreath afterward.
4. Light the candle or candles for the week. Children often love to take turns.
5. Pray the prayer for that week, then add personal intentions.
6. Close with the Our Father, a Hail Mary, or a verse of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

If your parish offers a blessing of wreaths after Mass, you can bring yours to church and still use the prayers below at home. Keep the wreath somewhere you see daily, perhaps on the dinner table or near your Catholic home altar. Never leave lit candles unattended.

Blessing of the Advent wreath

1. Prayer of Blessing for an Advent Wreath (Household Blessing)

This is the blessing a parent or another member of the family may lead at home, from the Church’s household blessings for Advent. The leader says it with hands joined, and everyone answers “Amen.”

Lord our God,
we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:
he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,
he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,
he is the Savior of every nation.
Lord God,
let your blessing come upon us
as we light the candles of this wreath.
May the wreath and its light
be a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation.
May he come quickly and not delay.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Advent wreath prayers for each week

For each Sunday below you’ll find two prayers. The first is a traditional prayer from the collect (opening prayer) of the old Roman Missal, which Catholics have prayed for centuries; three of them begin with the words “Stir up.” The second is a shorter prayer we wrote for families to say as the candle is lit.

2. Traditional Prayer for the First Week of Advent

Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy power, and come;
that from the threatening dangers of our sins
we may be rescued by Thy protection,
and saved by Thy deliverance.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
Amen.

3. Lighting the First Candle: A Prayer for Hope (Original Prayer)

The first violet candle recalls the prophets, who kept hope alive through long centuries of waiting.

Lord Jesus, as we light this first candle,
we remember the prophets who waited for your coming.
Keep us awake and watchful this Advent.
Where there is worry in our home, give us hope;
where there is darkness in our world, let your light shine.
Come, Lord Jesus, and do not delay.
Amen.

4. Traditional Prayer for the Second Week of Advent

Stir up our hearts, O Lord,
to prepare the ways of Thine only-begotten Son:
that through His coming
we may be found worthy to serve Thee with purified minds.
Who liveth and reigneth with Thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
Amen.

5. Lighting the Second Candle: A Prayer for Peace (Original Prayer)

The Second Sunday’s Gospel brings us John the Baptist, who cried out, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” This week is a good time to go to confession before Christmas; our guide to how to go to confession can help if it has been a while.

Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace,
as we light these two candles,
clear the road of our hearts for your coming.
Take away our grudges and our hurry,
heal what is broken in our family,
and make us peacemakers in our home.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Amen.

6. Traditional Prayer for the Third Week of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)

Incline Thine ear, O Lord, we beseech Thee, to our prayers,
and enlighten the darkness of our minds
by the grace of Thy visitation.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
Amen.

7. Lighting the Rose Candle: A Prayer for Joy (Original Prayer)

Light the rose candle along with the two violet candles from the first two weeks.

Lord Jesus, today we light the rose candle
because you are near.
Fill our home with the joy of the shepherds
and the gladness of all who longed to see you.
Let our joy be gentle and generous,
so that others may see you in us.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again we say, rejoice!
Amen.

8. Traditional Prayer for the Fourth Week of Advent

Stir up Thy power, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and come;
and with great might succor us:
that by the help of Thy grace,
that which is hindered by our sins
may be hastened by the mercy of Thy forgiveness.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
Amen.

9. Lighting the Fourth Candle: A Prayer for Love (Original Prayer)

The Fourth Sunday turns our eyes to the Virgin Mary, who said yes to God and carried Jesus in her womb. In 2026 this falls on December 20, only five days before Christmas.

Lord Jesus, as we light all four candles,
we think of Mary, waiting with love for your birth.
Give us her open heart and her quiet trust.
Make our home ready to welcome you,
and help us love one another as you love us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Amen.

If your family prays the rosary, the Joyful Mysteries (the Annunciation, the Visitation and the Nativity) fit this last week of Advent beautifully.

A short daily Advent wreath prayer

Many families light the wreath each evening at dinner, not only on Sundays. On weekdays, light the candles for the current week and use this short prayer before the meal blessing.

10. Daily Prayer at the Advent Wreath: “Come, Lord Jesus” (Original Prayer)

Come, Lord Jesus, light of the world.
Bless this food, this family and this day.
Make us ready for your coming
at Christmas, in our daily lives,
and at the end of time.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Amen.

The words “Come, Lord Jesus” come from the last lines of the Bible (Revelation 22:20). The early Christians prayed them in Aramaic as Maranatha. They are the heart of Advent: the Church waits for Christ’s birth and for his return in glory (CCC 524).

The Christ candle on Christmas

Many families place a large white candle in the center of the wreath, the Christ candle, and light it for the first time on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Others swap the colored candles for white ones and keep the wreath through the Christmas season, which lasts until the Baptism of the Lord in January.

11. Prayer for Lighting the Christ Candle (Original Prayer)

Lord Jesus Christ, Word made flesh,
tonight the waiting is over:
you are born for us in Bethlehem.
As we light this candle,
fill our home with the light of your love.
With Mary and Joseph, with the angels and shepherds,
we adore you and give you thanks.
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
Amen.

For the days that follow, our short Christmas prayers for family blessings carry the same spirit into the feast.

Tips for praying with the Advent wreath

• Keep it short. Two or three minutes each evening is enough. Children (and tired adults) remember a short prayer said daily better than a long one said rarely.
• Give everyone a part. One person lights the candles, another reads the Scripture, another leads the prayer.
• Add a hymn. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is the classic Advent hymn, and its verses are drawn from the ancient “O Antiphons” that the Church prays from December 17 to 23.
• Pray for others. Each evening, name one person who is lonely, sick or grieving this season, and pray for them by name.
• If you live alone, the wreath is just as fitting. Light it at your evening meal and pray with the whole Church; you are not alone in your waiting.
• Use real or artificial greens, whichever is practical. If you use live branches, keep candles well away from dry needles.

For more ideas on keeping the season holy, see when Advent starts in 2026 and our simple ideas for a Catholic Christmas.

Why pray with an Advent wreath?

December can become the busiest, noisiest month of the year. The Advent wreath gives a family a few quiet minutes each day to remember what we are waiting for. The light grows week by week, and with it our longing for Christ.

The wreath also teaches without words. A child who watches one candle become two, then three, then four learns that Christmas isn’t only a day of gifts. It is the coming of the Light into the world. The Church invites us to wait “in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ,” and a simple wreath on the kitchen table helps us do just that.