Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2015 / January 2016 | Page 45

FEATURE

Circle
of
Life
I

t might look like just a pretty, twinkly
adornment to welcome guests to
your home at Christmas, but the
festive door wreath or garland has a
much deeper meaning that goes back
centuries.
The word wreath comes from the word
“writhen” - an old English word meaning
“to writhe” or “to twist.”
Hence, the Christmas wreath is made
by twisting or bending evergreen
branches into a large circle, which is then
traditionally decorated with pinecones
and a red bow.
In the Christian tradition, the circular
shape of the wreath is meant to represent
Christ’s eternal love, his strength, and
the creation of new life. Evergreens
are commonly used to make the
wreath because of the way they survive
throughout harsh winters, symbolising
strength and immortality.
It is thought that the practice of
hanging Christmas wreaths originated
from the Romans, who hung wreaths
on their doors as a sign of victory
and of their status in society. Roman
women also wore them as headdresses
as a symbol of pride, and donned
them during special occasions such as

weddings.
Christmas wreaths in the Catholic
tradition featured four candles – three
of purple, symbolizing penance, and
expectation, and one of pink to represent
the coming joy. Similarly to Catholic
customs, traditional Pagan wreaths were
also evergreen circles consisting of four
candles. These candles represented the
elements of earth, wind, fire, and water.
Their wreaths were typically used
in rituals that would ensure the
continuance of the circle of life.
The use of evergreens
for Christmas wreaths
and other decorations
is thought to have
originated in northern
Europe, Italy and Spain
in the early 19th
century. It was then
that the traditional
colours of Christmas
were established
as green and red green to represent
the continuance of life
through the winter, and
red for the blood of Christ.
In recent years, the wreath

has become an increasingly popular
decoration in the US, Canada and
the UK, with craft workshops and
floral decoration classes devoted
to the intricate art of creating the
most stunning door wreath in the
neighbourhood.

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