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Why do we hang Christmas wreaths as decorations and where do they come from?


Can you be-wreath the meaning behind this Christmas decoration? (Picture: Getty Images)

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Stockings hung by the chimney with care.

There are plenty of Christmas decorations and traditions that just make sense for the festive season, but what about stopping to ask just why we do some of the things we do?

Take the Christmas wreath. What’s the meaning behind hanging a wreath outside your door?

What does the Christmas wreath represent?

As with most festive traditions, the meaning behind hanging the Christmas wreath can be traced back to different religions and cultures.

For some Christians, the wreath was originally representative of Jesus’ suffering.

The wreath was meant to represent the crown of thorns worn on the cross, with the red berries meant to be Christ’s blood.

The use of evergreen branches in a wreath is to signify eternal life.

By hanging one of these on their door, Christians were inviting the spirit of Christ into their home.

Some believe the origin goes back to Ancient Rome, where the wreaths were hung on doors to represent victory.

Another popular theory traces the wreath back to German folklore, where the wreath’s evergreen was used as a symbol of continuity and sustained life in the bleak winter months.

Today, the wreath is more an exercise in creativity (Picture: Getty)

If you just want to hang a wreath to go with your Christmas decorations, that’s fine.

If Kim Kardashian can have cotton wool Christmas decorations, you can hang a wreath free from any historical associations.

Why not flex your creative skills and give your wreath a Minnie makeover or wear your heart on your, er, doorstep?

MORE: Kate and Rio Ferdinand’s Christmas decorations have been up for weeks and we’re okay with that

MORE: Who invented Christmas, how long has the festival been celebrated and how was Charles Dickens involved?





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