Christmas Wreaths
Wreaths were used for celebratory purposes as far back as in the cultures of
ancient Persia (modern-day Iran). They were then called diadems, after the
Greek word "diadema" meaning "a thing bound around".
Almost all cultures have valued trees as symbols of celestial energy and bounty, so arrangements of branches and sprigs have always had positive secular and religious meanings. For example, wreaths made of holly, brought indoors during winter, sheltered spirits of the woods from cold. A woman signaled her acceptance of a suitor with a crown of birch, and showed her rejection of him with a crown of hazel. And, because a circle represents eternity, wreaths came to be used as part of funeral observances. Think rosemary for remembrance and evergreen for life everlasting.
The St. Lucia crown is a wonderful wreath that is central to the Feast of St.Lucia (advent of Christmas) in Scandinavian countries. Before dawn on 13 December, the youngest girl in a household puts on a head dress bearing candles. She thus represents the winter solstice and the beginning of the return of light. The St. Lucia crown is traditionally made of bilberry twigs.
Wreaths made of organic herbs, dried flowers, seeds, and boughs are a great way to bring the fragrance and color of the outdoors inside. Wreaths can also be fabricated from sea shells, bread dough, wheat sheaves, and berries.
Almost all cultures have valued trees as symbols of celestial energy and bounty, so arrangements of branches and sprigs have always had positive secular and religious meanings. For example, wreaths made of holly, brought indoors during winter, sheltered spirits of the woods from cold. A woman signaled her acceptance of a suitor with a crown of birch, and showed her rejection of him with a crown of hazel. And, because a circle represents eternity, wreaths came to be used as part of funeral observances. Think rosemary for remembrance and evergreen for life everlasting.
The St. Lucia crown is a wonderful wreath that is central to the Feast of St.Lucia (advent of Christmas) in Scandinavian countries. Before dawn on 13 December, the youngest girl in a household puts on a head dress bearing candles. She thus represents the winter solstice and the beginning of the return of light. The St. Lucia crown is traditionally made of bilberry twigs.
Wreaths made of organic herbs, dried flowers, seeds, and boughs are a great way to bring the fragrance and color of the outdoors inside. Wreaths can also be fabricated from sea shells, bread dough, wheat sheaves, and berries.
