CHRISTMAS WREATHS

Beautiful, beautiful Wreaths are everywhere!  

In the Stores, on the windows, inside and out.  

In people's Homes and Offices.  

In and out of Churches....you name it......you'll see Wreaths all decked out and beautifying the environment.  

So pretty and meaningful.  So many items on them to personalize them and call your own.  

Fantastic ideas to bring Home and use in your own space.

One of these days I will hang wreaths on each interior door of my HOME with the over the door hangers.  

I'd like to have more on the exterior of my HOUSE.

~Exterior Frasier Fir Wreath~

Frasier Wreath made from Christmas Tree branch clippings attached to metal circle frame
hangs on HOME HAVEN Conservatory Bump Out Window.

AFTER reading on the net about wreaths I thought the 

info found would make for a nice post for this time of year.  

Here goes...........

The word wreath is linked to the word wrist with both terms forming a continuous physical circular shape.  Wrethe, meaning twist band or ring of leaves or flowers in a garland.  

Eternal Life, no beginning, no end.

There are two categories of Christmas Wreaths.

DECORATIVE and the Advent Wreath.

 ~Decorative wreath on HOME HAVEN~

Wreaths are used typically as CHRISTMAS decor 

to celebrate the birth of CHRIST. 

CIRCLE wreath is a never ending ring, a reminder of eternal love from our LORD and KING.

A SIGN of WELCOME, inviting all to enter in - reminder of Christ's invitation for all to come to HIM.

In Christmas, wreaths are used to prepare for the Advent Season or the coming of Christ.  First known association with these now modern day wreaths dates back to the 16th Century Lutherans in Germany.

Christians kept these popular traditions alive, and by the 16th Century Catholics and Protestants throughout Germany used these symbols to celebrate their Advent Hope in Christ, the everlasting Light.  From Germany the use of the Advent wreath spread to other parts of the Christian worlds.  Traditionally the wreath is made of 4 candles in a circle of evergreens with a candle in the middle.

The origins of the Advent wreath are found in the folk practices of the pre-christian Germanic peoples who, during the cold December darkness of Eastern Europe, gathered wreaths of evergreen and lighted fires as signs of hope in a coming spring and renewed  light.

In 1839, Johann Hinrich Wichern used a wreath made from a cart wheel to educate children about the meaning and purpose of Christmas, as well as to help them count its approach.  For every Sunday of Advent, starting with the 4th Sunday before Christmas, he would put a white candle in the wreath and for every day in between he would use a red one.

The Advent wreath is constructed of evergreen to represent everlasting life brought through Jesus and the circular shape of the wreath represents GOD with no beginning and no end.

The Advent wreath is now a popular symbol in preparation for the coming of Christ, to mark the beginning of the Christian Church's year and as decor during the Christmas festivities.

Now Decorative Wreaths are for every Season and Occasion 

made out of a variety of materials.  

Have a HapPY Holiday and God richly Bless you!

~Deanna~

 A sweet Poem by Holley Gerth

Every Christmas is more than a decoration.  

It's a special reminder of Jesus,

the reason for our celebration.

The circle of a Christmas wreath is never ending ring.  

A reminder of eternal love from our Lord and King.  

The Christmas wreath is a sign 

of welcome, inviting all to enter in...a reminder of Christ's invitation for all to come to Him.

The middle of a Christmas wreath is bare and empty space, 

a reminder of what life would be without Christ's love and grace.

So each time you see a Christmas wreath hanging from a door, 

may your heart rejoice in the ones that Christmas is truly for.

Please jump over to this sight to read more from THE CHRISTIAN HOME.  I contribute a post to the DESIGN and DECORATE section of this magazine carnival!
http://daybydayinourworld.com/2011/12/the-christian-home-magazine-issue-42/