Advent Wreath tradition

When I was a nanny in Germany, I was introduced to the Christmas tradition of the Advent Wreath. On each of the 4 Sundays before Christmas, you light a candle on the advent wreath (or 2 for the 2nd Sunday, etc) and do a Christmas thing. The wreath signifies eternal life and love and the candles signify the light of Christ. One of my favorite memories of Christmas in Germany was gathering in the living room and singing Christmas songs while the Advent candle was burning. I love that the purpose of celebrating it is to remember the true meaning of Christmas. I found an advent wreath at a thrift store, but you can buy them online or you can use candles for the same magical affect.