Why do people hang wreaths on their doors for Christmas?
If you ask someone living in the West, what is the first sign of Christmas, their answer will be the wreaths hanging on peoples’ doors. Wait, what’s a wreath? Well, it’s an ornamental circular band made out of plaited flowers, fruits, twigs and evergreen leaves, often used as Christmas decorations. Okay, but why do people display wreaths on their front doors ahead of the holiday season and when did this tradition start? Come, let’s find out.
Wreaths before they became part of Christmas
The origin of wreaths can be traced back to ancient Persia where they symbolised success, importance and accomplishment (especially in warfare) and were often reserved for honourable people, the royals, the noblemen and the upper classes. They wore it as headbands alongside other jewels. However, the wreaths were called diadems back then and were much smaller in size.
Okay, but when did the other cultures adopt wreaths? Well, that would be somewhere around 776 B.C. in the hands of ancient Greeks and Romans who turned diadems into wreaths (made of laurels) as prizes meant for ancient Olympics winners. Not only that, military and political leaders too wore wreaths on their heads almost like a king’s crown, such as the famous Roman general Julius Caesar. Similarly, wreaths also became a pagan symbol observing the winter solstice with a promise of spring coming soon.
Advent wreaths for Christmas
Before you start wondering how wreaths ended up from human heads to front doors, it’s believed that an anonymous ancient Olympics winner refused to accept the wreath as a form of victorious headgear and wanted to take it home as a souvenir for his sick mother. Back home, when his mother passed away, the athlete decided to honour her by hanging the wreath on the wall, right above her picture placed on the mantle. Later on, however, he moved it to his front door as he believed that the wreath would protect the house from all outside dangers and misfortunes, while his mother safeguarded the inside.
Okay, but that still doesn’t clarify how normal wreaths turned into Christmas wreaths. Well, that story dates back to 16th century Germany when Lutherans (followers of Protestant reformer Martin Luther) used a wreath made from a cart wheel to teach children about the meaning and purpose of Christmas during the Advent season. For those unaware, Advent refers to the Christian season of preparation for Nativity of Christ (birth and coming of baby Jesus) almost a month ahead of Christmas. Since then, Advent or Christmas wreaths have been hung on the doors on the first Sunday of Advent Season. It follows the one right after Thanksgiving Thursday. So, you can say that Christmas wreaths on doors represent the countdown to Christmas.
The tradition of using evergreen branches to make wreaths was adopted by Christians from the ancient customs of Hebrews, Egyptians and Chinese, all of whom believed them to be symbolic of eternal life, while the ring shape represents God, with no end or beginning.