Advent Day 10

Wreaths In All Shapes And Forms

Advent Wreaths

The Advent wreath is one of many Christmas traditions adopted from heathen origins. Wreaths trace their origins to Scandinavian folk traditions, where each winter, people lit candles on wheel-shaped bunches of evergreen as a sign of hope for the coming spring. In the 16th century, this practice was adopted by Eastern European Christians and soon became associated with Christmas.

To make an Advent Wreath, you simply put four candles (three purple and one pink) on an evergreen wreath. These candles are to be lit in order every Sunday during Advent, with a purple candle being lit on the first, second and fourth Sundays and the pink one lit on the third Sunday. They symbolize Hope, Love, Joy and Peace in that order.


Holiday Wreaths

The other type of commonly seen wreath is the holiday or Christmas wreath. This is the one found adorning doors and hung on walls. It is simply decorative, and comes in many varieties(evergreen, pinecone, flowers, leaves or fruit.) But this wreath also has a history that dates back to Ancient Greece, when it was called a Diadem. In those days, wreaths were a symbol of importance and victory, they adorned the heads of rulers, kings, warriors, champions and olympic athletes. Some say the diadem, or head wreath was later adopted by other countries and eventually became the royal crown.

Stay tuned for more of what you always wanted to know about Christmas...