▁Paul , ▁points ▁to ▁Johann ▁Hin rich ▁W ich ern ▁( 1 8 0 8 – 1 8 8 1 ), ▁a ▁Protest ant ▁past or ▁in ▁Germany ▁and ▁a ▁pione er ▁in ▁urban ▁mission ▁work ▁among ▁the ▁poor , ▁as ▁the ▁invent or ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁Advent ▁w re ath ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁During ▁Advent , ▁children ▁at ▁the ▁mission ▁school ▁R au hes ▁Haus , ▁founded ▁by ▁W ich ern ▁in ▁Hamburg , ▁would ▁ask ▁daily ▁if ▁Christmas ▁had ▁arrived . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 9 , ▁he ▁built ▁a ▁large ▁wooden ▁ring ▁( made ▁out ▁of ▁an ▁old ▁cart w heel ) ▁with ▁ 2 0 ▁small ▁red ▁and ▁ 4 ▁large ▁white ▁cand les . ▁A ▁small ▁cand le ▁was ▁lit ▁success ively ▁every ▁week day ▁and ▁Saturday ▁during ▁Advent . ▁On ▁Sund ays , ▁a ▁large ▁white ▁cand le ▁was ▁lit . ▁The ▁custom ▁gained ▁ground ▁among ▁Protest ant ▁churches ▁in ▁Germany ▁and ▁evol ved ▁into ▁the ▁smaller ▁w re ath ▁with ▁four ▁or ▁five ▁cand les ▁known ▁today . ▁Roman ▁C athol ics ▁in ▁Germany ▁began ▁to ▁adopt ▁the ▁custom ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁it ▁spread ▁to ▁North ▁America . ▁Professor ▁Ha em ig ' s ▁research ▁also ▁indicates ▁that ▁the ▁custom ▁did ▁not ▁reach ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁even ▁among ▁German ▁Luther an ▁imm igr ants . ▁