The coin motif by artist Victor Huster from Baden-Baden interprets the theme in a multi-layered way and in its historical development. It combines the elements of the "Wichern wreath" with today's familiar appearance. The entire round of the coin is used, the concentric arrangement includes the fir wreath, the original wagon wheel and the four candles. Wichern's idea that the light increases until Christmas is indicated by the fact that three candles are already lit. The comet above the wreath creates a link to the Star of Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. The separation of dots in the lettering ADVENTSKRANZ, which surrounds the coin, intertwines with the motif. The complex composition is supported by an independent design idea and convincingly mirrored by the value side.
In Germany, it can probably be found in (almost) every household. The fourth motif in the "Christmas" series is dedicated to the glowing wreath of lights.
Hanging or putting up an Advent wreath in the run-up to Christmas is a relatively recent custom. It goes back to the Pietist pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern (1808-1881), who placed the first Advent wreath in a Hamburg educational establishment in 1839. In the "Rauhes Haus", where children in need of protection were cared for, Wichern held a daily prayer from the first to the twenty-fourth of December. At each service, a candle was lit on a wagon wheel until all the candles shone brightly on Christmas Eve. The candles for Sundays were white, the candles for all other days were red. Even today, this wreath is known as the "Wichern wreath".
From this origin, the tradition of the Advent wreath initially developed in Protestant circles, and by the beginning of the 20th century it was widespread in churches and private homes. It was not until 1925 that the first Advent wreath was hung in a Catholic church in Cologne, followed by Munich in 1930. The number of candles was gradually reduced to four, and since around 1860 an evergreen wreath with fir greenery has been favoured. Regional variations include, for example, wooden hoops with turned figures, as in the Erzgebirge.
The symbolism of the Advent wreath is based on the fact that the increasing light symbolises the approaching arrival of the Son of God as the "light of the world". The circular shape, the fir greenery and the colour of the candles can also be interpreted symbolically. The circle symbolises eternity and infinity and, in a Christian context, also the resurrection. The fir green is a sign of hope, the four candles can be interpreted as the four points of the compass, while their preferred red colour stands for the love and light of Jesus Christ.
