Having just received a Fourth Advent video via messenger, in which The Count of Sesame Street counted the four burning candles, I wondered how much this is common outside of Germany.
Wikipedia tells me that the tradition also is followed in other countries nowadays, but not how much.
So:
Do you know this in your country or maybe even light some candles to count the remaining time until Christmas yourself?
Or have you never heard of it before?
Do you perhaps have any other similar countdown traditions (we e.g. also have Christmas calendars giving you a little tread every day until Christmas)?
In my part of the US they seem to be rare in houses but common in churches, at least Methodist churches.
Four candles for the Sundays before Christmas. Most have purple candles for three Sundays but one pink one typically lit on the third Sunday. Most also have a more prominent, central, white. christ candle that is lit for Christmas eve services and Christmas day. Some churches then remove the wreath but continue lighting that candle until later in the church year.
Typically a family will be asked to light the candles for each service and recite a reading.
The candles/days are usually themed: Hope, peace, joy, then love. Sometimes they are associated with characters from the story. E.g. pink being Mary’s candle.