Christmas in style

The origin of the evergreen wreath dates back to pre-Christian times when Germanic peoples gathered evergreens in the cold darkness of mid-winter, arranged them in a circle to symbolise the cyclical nature of seasons and as a sign that spring was coming and there would be new light. Later, Christians adopted the wreath and it became a symbol of Christ’s everlasting light.  Traditionally the Christmas wreath had 4 candles in the circle and a fifth in the centre.  The first candle was lit at the beginning of advent and then the remaining candles were lit, one a week, until December 25th.

Nowadays, it is usual to see Christmas wreaths hung on front doors and our house is no exception.  It is a welcoming sight for visitors (especially the Postman!) and since we generally use our back door more than the front door, it encourages us to change our habits for a while and enjoy the greenery every day. 

Usually, I spend a happy Saturday afternoon in December collecting a mass of greenery from the garden, including holly and ivy.  After 3 hours of faffing and positioning and re-positioning of the berries, bows and cinnamon sticks, I hang it on the hook with pride and satisfaction that I made it myself.  Then I usually go and find the sticking plasters because holly does not respect fingers. 
 
This year, Number One Daughter, who is a florist, has made our wreath this year.  She lives a long way away but the timing of her last visit was just right so she brought us one of her specials.  It took her half an hour or so to make it, but she is a professional after all.  I love her traditional design.  I don’t go in for wreaths made of sprouts or tinsel!