History of Christmas Wreaths and Garlands
People have been bringing evergreens into their homes in the
darkest part of the year since ancient times. In ancient Persia, Greece and
Rome wreaths were given for achieving victory in war or in the games, and were
made from laurels, evergreens, flowers and branches. Before Christianity arrived in Europe, in
December every year the Germanic tribes used to bring wreaths and garlands of
evergreens into their homes and light fires to remind themselves that the
spring and the sunshine would eventually return. These traditions were retained
when Christianity spread through Europe, and the wreaths and garlands were hung
during Advent to symbolise that the birth of Jesus was imminent and that light
would be returned to the world. Traditionally in Germany the wreaths would be
made of evergreens with four candles set in it, with a fifth candle placed in
the middle. A candle would be lit each
week during Advent, with the fifth middle candle being lit on Christmas Eve. In
more modern times, wreaths began to be hung on front doors as a festive welcome,
and garlands of fir and evergreens are hung from mantelpieces and around
banisters.
Fresh Christmas Wreaths
If you really love to have your home scented with the fresh,
outdoor smell of evergreens and firs during the Holidays, you might be
surprised to find out that you can choose them online. There is a fantastic range available and there
are fresh Christmas wreaths in many different sizes and made of lots of
different evergreens. These beautiful
decorations are usually circular in shape and can contain cedar, pine, balsam,
berried juniper and other fragrant evergreens.
You can choose a simple, undecorated fresh one if you are looking for festive
simplicity or use one to add your own decorations and create your own look. Of
course, there are also many pre-decorated ones to choose from and the most
popular decorations are festive red bows, pine cones, red berries, and
flowers. There are even pre-lit fresh wreaths,
if you like the idea of twinkling of lights in your festive evergreens. If you
need one, you can also buy fresh ones that come complete with a wreath hanger.
Artificial Christmas Wreaths
If you want to be able to enjoy your wreath for more than
one Holiday season, then an artificial one is for you. There is a huge variety of artificial wreaths
that you can choose online, and one of the first things that you have to decide
on is what colour do you want your wreath to be. You can buy in the traditional
evergreen, and also in white, gold, silver and red. Select a simple, undecorated artificial one
to be able to add your own decorations and colour scheme.
However, there are many decorated artificial Christmas wreaths that you can buy. Favourite decorations are scarlet bows, glass balls, fruit, berries, pine cones and artificial snow. Twinkling lights are always a welcome sight during the Christmas season, and there are also many lighted artificial Christmas wreaths to choose from, with either plain white lights or lovely coloured lights. One of the joys of an artificial wreath is that they are very durable and can withstand the elements, and so are perfect for hanging on your front door as a festive welcome to your home.
Christmas Garlands
If you have got a fireplace or banisters in your house, what
could be more beautiful than hanging them with festive garlands during the
holiday season? As with the wreaths you can opt for fresh evergreens in your holiday
garland to enjoy that wonderful smell of fresh pine and mountain air. There is also a great range of artificial
Christmas garlands available online, with a huge choice of decoration and pre-lit
garlands. There are also more unusual ones
that you can buy, such as garlands composed of poinsettia, tinsel, berries and
pine cones. Whatever theme that you are using for your decorations this festive
seasons, there will be Christmas garlands online that match it.
So look online today to find your perfect Christmas wreath
and garlands to hang on your front door and decorate your home. Amazon has a great range, with a huge amount
of choice, and ordering today will ensure that your home is decorated to
perfection for the upcoming festive season.
