Advent Wreaths - The Pope and His Red Candles

How quickly this last year has passed!  Now we're already at the second Sunday of Advent and my purple Advent candles are once again nowhere to be found.

I thought I would post once more this little tribute to red candles on an Advent wreath (yes, I know, not liturgically correct, but don't pink and purple really conjure up more of Easter than Christmas?  Just sayin... )

When it comes to Advent wreaths, my memories go back to my childhood in a German-American family.  My  Catholic grandparents brought the tradition with them from the old country.  The Advent wreath held a place of honor in those "pre" and early Vatican II days, and the candles were always red.  I know that some say this is a Lutheran German tradition, but our Catholic family always had an Advent wreath.  And there was nary a pink candle in sight!  It seems that our Holy Father adheres to the same custom:

Here's a shot of my Advent wreath: