Why do they decorate their homes with wreaths during the Christmas holidays? Is becoming interesting an attribute of Christmas that carries meaning, or just a decoration for the home? We will figure out where this custom came from and what this interesting tradition is connected with.
The history of the Advent wreath
There are several popular stories about how the wreath came to be. The first version mentions how the pagans wove wreaths from evergreen branches of coniferous trees. Also, a wreath made of holly was placed on the head of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.
The Advent wreath is also called the Advent wreath; it came to us from the Catholic world. Most people will ask: what does this decoration have to do with the Orthodox holiday?
No matter how strange it may sound, but everything church holidays have pagan roots, and they are all intertwined.
The word "wreath" comes from the Old English "writhe" to twist. So over time they began to call the Christmas wreath, which in English is “Christmas wreath”.
The second, more truthful version talks about the German theologian Johann Wichern. His pupils, whom he took from poor families, lived with him in the house.
The children constantly asked Johann when Christmas would come. Over time, he began to tire of such questions.
So that the pupils would not pester him, he took a wooden wheel and decorated it with four large white candles and nineteen small red ones.
On weekdays, one small candle was lit, but as soon as Sunday came, a large candle was lit. When there was only one white candle left on the wheel, the children realized that the next day was Christmas.
So Johann was able to save himself from questions about the coming of the holiday and brightened up the children’s anticipation. Residents in Germany liked this idea so much that they decided to hang a Christmas wreath on their homes. Over time, the tradition of decorating homes with Christmas wreaths spread to the United States and throughout Europe.
Symbolism of wreath decoration
Not only candles, but also bells were used to decorate Christmas wreaths. In England there was a belief that the ringing scared away evil spirits and welcomed Christ. In Scandinavia, the ringing of bells meant the end of the working day.
Each decoration carries its own meaning. The decorated wreath of candles becomes similar to the Advent calendar.
Each Sunday, one candle was lit, so they began to be lit four weeks before the holiday. Every family knows that the days before Christmas bring with them the joy of preparing for the holiday.
On the first Sunday the Candle of Prophecy is lit. It symbolizes the coming of the Savior to earth into the hearts of people through faith. At the end of the day, the candle is extinguished and left.
On the second Sunday, the first and second Bethlehem Candles are lit. It signifies the coming of the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary.
On the third Sunday the Shepherds' Candle is added. She tells how the shepherds saw the Savior with their own eyes and believed. In France, it also means that everyone should share their faith in Christ.
On the last day, the fourth Angel Candle is lit. On this day, the Savior descends with all the angels to take all believers with him to heaven.
A traditional Advent wreath with candles could simply be made and placed on the table. In America and many other countries, they didn’t know about candles, so the Christmas wreath simply acted as a decoration for a cake or was attached to the door.
In Europe he carried a wreath special meaning is a symbol of joy and faith.
An Advent wreath, either with or without candles, still carried a special meaning and could be hung on the door or simply on the wall.
On the door he told everyone who came about the hospitality of the owners and readiness for the holiday, and on the wall it was just a decoration and reminded that Christmas was approaching.
The round shape of the wreath signifies endless life.
But as everyone knows, Christian customs have deep pagan roots. Another 2000 years BC in various nations there was a holiday - the Revival of the Sun. The victory over darkness was celebrated. This event usually occurred at the end of December, when the days began to lengthen. It is impossible to say for sure that the wreath is only a Christian tradition.
Sometimes a wreath with four candles is associated with the globe and cardinal directions.
Making a wreath
There is simply no limit to the imagination of designers. Their ideas for making Christmas wreaths are amazing. Nowadays you can use everything in the design of Christmas wreaths, from plain paper to gold. Those who don’t want to get their hands dirty and waste time can simply go to the store and choose any of the ones they like.
The classic wreath is made from spruce branches with red ribbons and four candles. Catholics usually attach three purple and one pink candles. These colors are symbols of worship.
Many florist companies don’t think about what a Christmas wreath can be made from and how to decorate it beautifully, but simply attach everything they can. Therefore, you can find not only a green Christmas wreath, but also white and even pink.
Since ancient times, people have tried to make a Christmas wreath of the same size, so that the diameter of all wreaths would be the same. We were held to standards that simply do not exist. Over time, Christmas wreaths began to be made different forms, attach animal figures: deer, rabbits and many others.
Previously, a beautiful and exquisite Christmas wreath could only be seen in pictures. Not every family could afford to decorate it with expensive things and made do with improvised means. Over time, people realized that it is not necessary to spend a lot of money to decorate.
Now it is an integral part of Christmas and hangs on almost every door.
Video: Christmas wreath on the door
Making a Christmas wreath on your door with your own hands is easy if you take into account all the recommendations and the video:
What are Christmas wreaths made from in Europe?
The first letter is "o"
Second letter "l"
Third letter "b"
The last letter of the letter is "a"
Answer to the question "What are Christmas wreaths made of in Europe", 5 letters:
alder
Alternative crossword questions for the word alder
Elokha, elshina. What kind of tree
Tree with earrings
Birch sister
Medicinal plant
What was the ark used to build on which Rhea Silvia sent the twins Romulus and Remus down the river
The tree that makes the best firewood for barbecues
Deciduous tree whose fruits are cones
Definition of the word alder in dictionaries
Wikipedia
Meaning of the word in the Wikipedia dictionary
Alkha is a village in the Ershov volost of the Pskov district of the Pskov region of Russia. Located 14 km north of the city center of Pskov and 9 km east of the volost center of the village of Ershovo. The population of the village as of 2000 was...
Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language, Dal Vladimir
The meaning of the word in the dictionary Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language, Dal Vladimir
and. Yolkha Vlad. Vyat. eloha lower olshina, elshina, olshina novg. Psk. volkha thief chickens Alnus glutinosa tree, black alder, small species. A. incana, stone alder, alder birch, alder bush. With your heart you will bend an alder tree, but with a twisted tree you will break an elm tree. If birch...
Examples of the use of the word alder in literature.
With his lidless eyes, he saw in front of him a deep muddy barrel between thick roots. alders.
Alder Yes, the aspen were crowded out by the oak and hazel trees, the grass seemed to be getting lower in the copses, the heather and blueberry trees were growing thicker in the forests, and yet one could hardly feel the difference: day after day, but the same land!
She also then admired the brisk river twenty steps from the lake, along which dry reeds and yellow willow leaves floated - it was noticeable - with considerable speed, floated to where, because of the dark alder the red chimney of the thread factory rose.
She lived for Shmelev a living and original life, which still reminds of itself in the names of streets and alleys, squares and playgrounds, driveways, embankments, dead ends, which hid large and small fields, clearings, open fields, sand, mud and clay, mosses under the asphalt , alders, even wilds, or derbies, ku-lizhki, swampy places and the swamps themselves, hummocks, meadows, enemy ravines, valley ditches, graves, as well as pine forests and a great variety of gardens and ponds.
They feed on weed seeds, alders and birch trees, red-capped finches quickly master the conditions of an aviary.
What are Christmas wreaths made from in Europe?
Alternative descriptionsA tree whose infusion of cones is healing
Deciduous tree or shrub of the birch family
Deciduous tree whose fruits are cones
Tree with catkins
What tree do beavers not like?
Levada tree
Tree of the birch family
“Esaul on rest” dozed off under it
This tree gets its name from the same word as "tin", i.e. named for its whitish color
Medicinal plant
Birch relatives
Tree with earrings
Berezina "sister"
Tree with brunki
Birch tree
Tree blooming in early spring
Tree, relatives of birch
Tree growing along rivers
Elokha, elshina. What kind of tree?
Birch relative
deciduous tree
Wood for containers and plywood
Birch sister
Stands above the cherry (song.)
Black... - the Celts have a miracle tree, symbolizing resurrection and deification
What was used to build the ark on which Rhea Silvia sent the twins Romulus and Remus down the river?
Its shavings are suitable for smoking
Deciduous tree or shrub of the birch family
Tree of the birch family
Berezina "sister"
Elokha, elshina. What kind of tree
J. elkha Vlad. Vyat. eloha lower olshina, elshina, olshina novg. Psk. volkha thief chickens Alnus glutinosa tree, black alder, small species. incana, stone alder, alder birch, underbrush. With your heart you will bend an alder tree, but with a twisted tree you will break an elm tree. If the birch tree opens its leaves in front of the alder, then the summer will be dry, and if the alder is in front, then it will be wet. There are a lot of catkins on an alder tree, a sign of an oat harvest, and a lot of cones, a sign of a barley harvest. Alder, alder, alder, alder, elokhnik m. elshanik, fir, alder, olekh ryaz. forest, grove; alder logs, firewood. On an alder forest, pods (buds) are a harvest for oats. Alder, alder, Novg. undergrowth, mushroom. Oleshye Wed. collect novg. Psk. alder wood or firewood. Olkhoviana, olshanina, oleshina, elshina w. one alder tree. Alder forest. Spruce, spruce leaf. Alder table. Talk about alder, but oak is stronger! Alder thickets. Alder, alder-colored, yellow-brown, esp. about birds; alder, bird Accentor modularis south. various small fish, more oatmeal. Olkhovka st. native bad partridge, Lagopus alpinus. An alder hawk, all brown, without whiteness and without small ripples: when washing the hawk, they change their feathers according to age; young ones are alder, gradually taking on more ripples and blueness; old clean-cut
What was the ark used to build on which Rhea Silvia sent the twins Romulus and Remus down the river
This tree gets its name from the same word as "tin", i.e. named for its whitish color
“Esaul on rest” dozed off under it
Tree from the birch family
Deciduous bush with fruit-cones
Deciduous. tree with fruits-"cones"
Deciduous. tree with fruit-cones
According to historical tradition, the birthplace of the Advent wreath is Germany. The essential attributes of a classic Christmas wreath are pine branches, red ribbons and candles.
The tradition of decorating a wreath with bells appeared a little later. A wreath with four candles was brought into the house four weeks before Christmas, and one candle was lit every Sunday. On Christmas Eve, when the last candle burned out, a wreath was hung on the front door - as a forerunner and symbol of the holiday.
The basis of a traditional wreath is the branches of coniferous trees. It was believed that spruce and pine represent the triumph of life and bring happiness and prosperity to the house. In addition, it was generally believed that the shiny bells that decorate the wreath ward off evil spirits with their ringing and serve as a kind of amulet.
Over time, the tradition of decorating a house with New Year and Christmas wreaths came to most countries of Western Europe and the USA, and in the last few years it has become popular in Russia. It is customary to decorate the entrance doors and windows of houses with New Year and Christmas wreaths or simply hang them on one of the walls in the house. The wreath is attached to the window opening using sufficiently long and wide decorative ribbons with a bow.
As a rule, the basis of a New Year's wreath continues to be the branches of coniferous trees, and the decor can be very diverse. Wreath in classic style decorated with red ribbons and small bells, decorative candles. As New Year's decor Gold-colored decorations are widely used - balls, bows, angel figurines, gilded cones.
No less interesting and also paying tribute to the classical tradition can be a Christmas wreath, decorated with glossy leaves and red holly berries, poinsettia and mistletoe branches. This design option for a Christmas wreath belongs to the North American tradition.
In Western European countries, candied fruits, marzipan figures, sweets and gilded nuts were used as decorations for the Christmas wreath and New Year tree. Today, “fruit” Christmas decor is very popular; it is unusually bright, lush and impressive.
A New Year's wreath decorated with miniatures looks incredibly charming. soft toys And Christmas balls. It will be especially appropriate in a house where there are small children.
Today, Christmas wreaths decorated with gilded pine cones, nuts, fragrant cinnamon sticks, dried flowers and boxes of dried flower plants have become very popular. This wreath creates an extraordinary feeling of coziness and warmth of home.
Today in Russia, the New Year or Christmas wreath is increasingly becoming, if not an alternative, then a spectacular addition to the New Year tree. It is used as holiday decoration residential buildings, office premises, cafes and restaurants. A large selection of decorative options for the Christmas wreaths themselves allows you to use them to decorate interiors of a wide variety of styles.
On New Year's and Christmas Eve, wreaths with twinkling lights in the branches look incredibly impressive. As such an elegant backlight and an alternative to burning candles, you can use a small New Year's LED garland. Depending on the style of the wreath, you can choose white and matte yellow lighting or multi-colored lights.
Windows decorated with illuminated New Year's wreaths look amazingly beautiful, unusual and magical.
