Around Advent, you see lots of purple, with a streak of pink. That’s the liturgical color, and Advent wreaths with their purple/pink candles are the to-go symbol of the season.
But not everyone uses purple. Liturgical colors somewhat varied
for centuries, as local meanings and available colors greatly differed. Purple,
now liturgically associated with penance, was often associated with royalty because
it was so expensive to produce. Worthy of the Kings of Kings, but hard to
acquire for parish celebrations.
In the sixteenth century, Pope Pius V made some reforms,
including streamline the colors: white, gold, red, violet, purple, green, black.
But even as purple for Advent/Lent became more adopted, there was a wide range
of shades used, based on what was available in different areas. Some were
reddish violent and others were blueish indigo.
In medieval England, blue was very common. Salisbury Cathedral
used a distinct dark blue, named Sarum blue after the Latin for Salisbury. In
the nineteenth century, there was a revival of pre-Reformation traditions, and some
Anglicans, Episcopalians, and Lutherans adopted the Sarum blue.
The dark blue represents the night sky, waiting from the
light of Christ. Blue is also traditionally associated with Mary, so having a
blue for Advent is a reminder that the season focuses on Mary and her bringing
Christ into the world in the flesh.
I think the use of a different liturgical color is
fascinating (it probably helps that it’s a pretty shade). The meaning attached
to colors affects how we see the season: blue reminds us of Mary where purple
reminds us of the King; blue reminds us of the coming Light where purple
reminds us to prepare from that Coming. Color can affect our understanding and
our attitudes. Our worship should be deliberate and have meaning. Often it’s
unconscious, but liturgy should affect us—teach us, guide us, help us to
worship.
