All About The Christmas Wreaths!

Everyone loves those pretty little arrangements of flower, leaves and laurel arranged in such beautiful patterns. These wreaths can be seen everywhere during Christmas. Look over the fireplaces, or the doors and a Christmas wreath is bound to catch one’s eyes. However, like all things, even these have a history. Read on to find out about the Christmas Wreath History and where it all began.

The wreaths have been in use for hundreds of years. There are many conflicting theories about how these wreaths originated in the first place. A school of historians are of the opinion that it all came down from the Persians. That is in the ancient times when noble and successful people would wear these wreaths on their heads. These were called diadems. Sometimes these would have jewels in them too.

The early wreaths were made of :

• Flowers
• leaves
• Evergreen twigs
• Jewels

History of the Christmas wreath:

No one knows when exactly the tradition of having Christmas wreaths started, but there are many educated surmises that people make. Wreaths have always been used in many sacred and holy occasions. This is because wreaths have been traditional symbols of power, glory and success. Thus wreaths began to be used by the Greeks as crowns. These were placed on the winning athletes in the Olympic games. This happened around 776 BC approximately.

An alternative theory says that the Romans used wreaths as crowns for the kings and other military leaders. Everyone knows about the laurel wreath worn by Julius Caesar, the emperor of Rome. Thus the  Christmas Wreath History is is rife with many different opinions by people.

Symbolism of the Christmas wreath:

However, the wreath has always been a sign of good fortune and is always meant to herald really good things for the wearer. This was present in the Egyptian culture along with China and the Jewish culture too. They believed that evergreen leaves was a sign of longevity and, if worn, these could be the protector against death. Even during Christmas, the wreaths are made of evergreen leaves. Hence this means the triumph of life over everything else.
It is generally opined that Christmas wreaths came into use all over Europe during the nineteenth century. The green part of the Christmas wreaths symbolises the preservation of life in the harsh months of winter. Holly berries are also used and these signify the blood of Christ. The Christmas Wreath History thus has a definite pre-Christian background, coming from the Chinese and Egyptian cultures.

Nowadays, even the wreath has moved with the times and modernised itself. The Christmas wreath is no longer just made out of evergreen leaves and holly berries. There are many different types of materials which are used to make these wreaths look colourful for Christmas. However, the history behind the Christmas wreaths is equally if not more colourful than the wreaths themselves.

Christmas Wreath History is fascinating, as are most traditions associated with the story of the birth of Christ.