We need First Advent, it gives us something else to think about, it brightens up our life at the end of the darkest month of the year.

On the fourth Sunday before Christmas the first candle is lit, with another being lit each proceeding Sunday, marking the countdown until Christmas. Once all four are shining brightly we know the waiting is almost over, a tradition that has taken place in Sweden since the 1890s and is loved by young and old.

Advent Candle Holders come in all manner of shapes and sizes and vary greatly in their decoration. They are traditionally decorated with a light green moss ”Cladína stelláris” which I believe suffers greatly from the amount that is collected at this time of year.

We have untraditional holders and I love the vibrancy of the green moss from the boulders in the forest. I also fill my with sand or soil and keep the moss damp, it creates much less of a fire hazard.

First Advent is also about putting stars and electrical advent candles in the windows, a tradition that has been around since the 1930s. The stars were originally made of paper, straw or wood and have became all the more popular as electricity became a part of life.

When we leave for work and school in the mornings in the dark, they light up our way.
When we come home in the afternoon or evening in the dark, they light up our way. The combination creates a special, magical feeling that I strongly associate with my first weeks in Sweden, many years ago.

The first Sunday in Advent is also the first day of the church year, and a day when people who are not normally church-goers might attend an advent service, often to see young children singing.

It also means we can officially start drinking glögg (mulled wine) and eating pepparkakor (cinnamon snaps).

So if you don't yet have candles, electrical or otherwise, and a star hanging in the window ready to be be turned on, you still have a couple of days. They are everywhere in the shops and you can be as traditional or as creative as you life. They light up our dark December and they add to the spirit of Christmas. Come Sunday you can officially light your candles, eat your pepparkakor and lussebullar and drink glögg.

Hooray for First Advent!