New Year's Christmas wreath: the symbol of Christmas and its origin
Why do they decorate their houses with wreaths on Christmas holidays? It becomes interesting - is it an attribute of Christmas that carries a meaning, or just a decoration for the house? We will understand where this custom came from and what this interesting tradition is connected with.
There are several popular stories about how the wreath originated. The first version mentions how even the pagans wove wreaths from the evergreen branches of coniferous trees. Also, a wreath made of holly was placed on the head of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.
The Christmas wreath is also called the Advent wreath, it came to us from the Catholic world. Most will have a question, what does this decoration have to do with the Orthodox holiday?
No matter how strange it may sound, but all church holidays have pagan roots, and they are all intertwined.
The word "wreath" comes from the Old English "writhe" to twist. So over time they began to call the Christmas wreath, which in English is “Christmas wreath”.
The second, more truthful version speaks of the German theologian Johann Wiehern. His pupils, whom he took from poor families, lived with him in the house.
The children were constantly asking Johann when Christmas would come. Over time, such questions began to bother him.
So that the pupils would not pester him, he took a wooden wheel and decorated it with four large white candles and nineteen small red ones.
On a weekday, one small candle was lit, but as soon as Sunday came, a large candle was lit. When one white candle remained on the wheel, the guys understood that the next day was Christmas.
So Johann was able to save himself from questions about the coming of the holiday and brightened up the expectation of the children. Residents in Germany liked the idea so much that they decided to hang a Christmas wreath in their homes as well. Over time, the tradition of decorating houses with Christmas wreaths spread throughout the United States and throughout Europe.
Symbolism of the wreath decoration
Not only candles, but also bells were used to decorate Christmas wreaths. In England, it was believed that the ringing frightened away evil spirits and welcomed Christ. In Scandinavia, the ringing of bells meant the end of the working day.
Each decoration carries its own meaning. A decorated wreath of candles becomes similar to the Advent calendar.
Each Sunday, one candle was lit, so they began to be lit four weeks before the holiday. Every family knows that the days before Christmas bring with them the joy of preparing for the holiday.
On the first Sunday, the Candle of Prophecy is lit. It symbolizes the coming of the Savior to earth in the hearts of people through faith. At the end of the day, the candle is extinguished and left.
On the second Sunday, the first and second Bethlehem Candles are lit. It means the coming of the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary.
On the third Sunday, the Shepherds' Candle is attached. She tells how the shepherds saw the Savior with their own eyes and believed. In France, it also means that everyone should share their faith in Christ.
On the last day, the fourth Angelic Candle is lit. On this day, the Savior descends with all the angels to take all the believing people with him to heaven.
A traditional Christmas wreath with candles could simply be made and placed on the table. In America and in many other countries they did not know about candles, so the Christmas wreath simply acted as a cake decoration or was attached to the door.
In Europe, the wreath carried a special meaning - it is a symbol of joy and faith.
A Christmas wreath, with or without candles, still carried a special meaning and could be hung on a door or just on a wall.
On the door, he spoke to everyone about the hospitality of the owners and readiness for the holiday, and on the wall he was just a decoration and reminded of the approach of Christmas.
The round shape of the wreath means endless life.
But as everyone knows, Christian customs have deep pagan roots. As early as 2000 BC, there was a holiday in various nations - the Rebirth of the Sun. The victory over darkness was celebrated. This event usually took place at the end of December, when the day was beginning to lengthen. It is impossible to say for sure that the wreath is only a Christian tradition.
Sometimes a wreath with four candles is associated with the globe and cardinal points.
Making a wreath
There is simply no limit to the imagination of designers. Their ideas for making Christmas wreaths are amazing. Now you can use everything in the design of Christmas wreaths, from plain paper to gold. Those who do not want to get their hands dirty and waste time can simply go to the store and choose any one they like.
The classic wreath is made from spruce branches with red ribbons and four candles. Catholics usually attach three purple and one pink candle. These colors are the symbols of worship.
Many floristic companies do not think about what a Christmas wreath can be made of and how to decorate it beautifully, but simply attach everything that is possible. Therefore, you can find not only a green Christmas wreath, but also white, and even pink.
Since ancient times, people have tried to make a Christmas wreath of the same size, so that the diameter of all wreaths would be the same. They adhered to standards that simply do not exist. Over time, Christmas wreaths began to be made in different shapes, to attach animal figures: deer, rabbits and many others.
Previously, a beautiful and exquisite Christmas wreath could only be seen in pictures. Not every family could afford to decorate it with expensive things and managed with improvised means. Over time, people realized that it is not necessary to spend big money for decoration.
Now it is an integral part of Christmas and hangs on almost every door.
Video: Christmas wreath on the door
Making a DIY Christmas wreath on the door is easy, given all the recommendations and from the video:
