As the season of Advent winds down, I thought I'd share this info which I just found in the Wiki entry on it, and which was the subject of some discussion last month in this thread:

"A darker purple (sometimes called 'Royal Purple') is used whereas in Lent the color is often a reddish purple ('Roman Purple'). This shade is used around the church, on the priest's vestments and usually the Tabernacle. On the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, a rose is used since this Sunday takes on a more joyous tone. In some Anglican and Lutheran churches, blue is the liturgical colour for Advent, a custom traced to the medieval Sarum Rite. This color is often referred to 'Sarum blue.' "

Merry Christmas to all!