A Brief History of Holiday Christmas Wreaths: From Advent Wreaths to Amish Wreath Quilts
Wreaths on the door year round are welcoming sights but no more warm a welcoming beacon than at Christmas time. No matter if your wreath graces the door of an Arts & Crafts bungalow or an ultra contemporary modern design, a wreath says home. Today, wreaths are used all year long but particularly as holiday adornments on front doors or even as attractive center pieces.
The wreath has a long history, dating back to the ancient cultures of the Persian Empire. From sporting events, to scholars and kings to religious associations the wreath is a long standing icon. Originally called a “diadem”, wreaths were a circle of fabric, used as a headband, and sometimes adorned with jewels. Diadema is a Greek word, meaning “a thing bound around.” Recognized by athletes worldwide, the Olympics used these circles of laurel leaves to crown the victors of ancient Olympic Games. When the Olympic Games started migrating from city to city, each venue would award wreath headdresses made of branches from local trees.
It was not only the Olympians who adorned themselves with wreaths. A symbol for peace, olive branch wreaths became in vogue. While the Romans tried to shun the fashion of wearing diadems it was not long before the upper classes wore garlands of oak leaves and laurel. The symbolism of laurel wreaths spawned the phrase “to earn your laurels.” Long recognized as an insignia for military attire and political status, even Julius Caesar was crowned with a wreath of fresh laurel.
As the Romans conquered the world, all roads led to Rome and the entire world shared in Roman culture. Other countries soon designed head wreaths of their own. From the head wreath idea evolved “crowns”. In fact, the word crown derives from the Latin word “corona”. Corona means garland or wreath. So important had the head wreath became in New Testament times that in the now infamous scene of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion the Roman soldiers placed a wreath thorns as a crown on Christ’s head and mockingly declared him “King of the Jews”.
No one knows for sure when wreaths went from head wear to home décor but simple deduction assumes that as victors came home they displayed their awards on the walls of their homes.
One particular wreath is seen only at Christmas, the Advent wreath. Advent, or “coming”, is the season celebrated in the Christian church symbolizing waiting and preparing for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus or Christmas. The Advent wreath may have had its inspiration from the Swedish Crown of Lights. The Swedish Crown was a candle-bearing crown worn by young Swedish girls to celebrate a young Christian martyr named Lucia, who gave her entire dowry to the poor.
As pagans were evangelized wreaths, like many other religious practices, may have been incorporated into church ordained Christmas practices to appease the new converts. In Eastern Europe people had used candles to light up wreaths made of evergreen leaves in winters. This pagan practice supposedly brought about and early spring and longed for sunshine. The traditional Advent Christmas wreath has four candles in the circle and one candle in the middle. The wreaths are made of evergreen leaves a symbol of the permanence of life. The wreath’s circle shape also symbolizes no beginning or end and that God is eternal.
Interestingly, the wreath is a symbol used in many Amish quilt designs. From circles of tulips to boxes of simply wrapped Christmas presents, the Amish women have added them into quilts even more welcoming than a well placed wreath. Whether you have hung a holiday wreath proudly at your threshold or assigned one to the center of your highly polished solid wood Amish crafted dining room table, rest assured your Christmas wreath is part of a long and interesting historic tradition worldwide.
Tags: Amish Dining Room Table, ancient olympic games, Christmas, crown, head wreath, headdresses, laurel wreaths, olive branch, Olympians, Olympic, Quilts, roman culture, The Amish, Wreaths
