’tis the season to shop for your virtual Advent wreath

Get ready for Advent with nifty wreaths for your smart phone. We’ve got you covered for iOS and Android. 
Virtual Advent Wreath ($.99) iOS. This is my favorite advent wreath app. It is as realistic as it gets. No prayers, a little background music (which you can turn off). You light the realistic candles in a lovely low-light setting and just pray on your own. Peaceful and serene. The flames respond to rotation of the device. And you can blow the candle(s) out–literally. I’m serious! So cool. I despise all the annoying ads at the opening, but once you’re in the virtual wreath, it’s just you and your candles. I have had this on in the middle of the night when I just want to pray a bit. Extremely realistic – and safer than the real thing. The opening ads are insipid, but they disappear once you enter the app.

Advent Wreath ($.99) Android. This app misses the fancy, realistic graphic punch we have come to expect in apps these days but, hey, it works if you don’t mind a cartoonish Advent wreath in the palm of your hand. From developer:  “Touch the wicks to light the candles and enjoy the peaceful, soothing flickering of the flames. Easily gather your friends and family for your very own Advent Wreath lighting no matter how busy you are.” Here’s a cool feature: the candles slowly burn down as the days of Advent pass by. You also have the option to turn the burn rate up for a more dramatic effect.