▁In ▁medieval ▁times ▁Advent ▁was ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁fast ing ▁during ▁which ▁people ' s ▁thoughts ▁were ▁directed ▁to ▁the ▁expected ▁second ▁coming ▁of ▁Christ ; ▁but ▁in ▁modern ▁times ▁many ▁have ▁forgotten ▁this ▁meaning ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁instead ▁been ▁primarily ▁seen ▁as ▁the ▁lead ▁up ▁to ▁Christmas , ▁and ▁in ▁that ▁context ▁the ▁Advent ▁w re ath ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁rem inder ▁of ▁the ▁approach ▁of ▁the ▁fe ast . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁an ▁Advent ▁crown , ▁made ▁at ▁home ▁from ▁wire ▁co ath angers ▁and ▁t ins el , ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁bi - week ly ▁children ' s ▁TV ▁program ▁Blue ▁Peter . ▁This ▁' make ' ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁program ' s ▁most ▁icon ic , ▁repeated ▁each ▁year , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁this ▁tradition ▁to ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁broad ly ▁Ang lic an ▁audience . ▁In ▁later ▁years , ▁the ▁cand les ▁were ▁replaced ▁by ▁ba ub les , ▁out ▁of ▁concern ▁over ▁fire . ▁ ▁More ▁recently , ▁some ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox ▁families ▁have ▁adopted ▁an ▁Advent ▁w re ath ▁with ▁six ▁cand les , ▁symbol izing ▁the ▁longer ▁Christmas ▁fast ▁in ▁Orth odox ▁tradition , ▁which ▁corresponds ▁to ▁Advent ▁in ▁Western ▁Christian ity . ▁ ▁Form s ▁of ▁the ▁Advent ▁w re ath ▁ ▁Advent ▁w re ath s ▁are ▁circular , ▁representing ▁God ' s ▁infinite ▁love , ▁and ▁are ▁usually ▁made ▁of ▁ever green ▁leaves , ▁which ▁" re present ▁the ▁hope ▁of ▁et ernal ▁life