The wreath isn't really a Christian symbol. In fact, most of the traditional things we have at holiday time go back WAY before the beginning of Christianity. This was an interesting article I found on it:
"The lights and decorations on Christmas trees are evocative of ancient Roman times, as are the wreaths that many people put on their house doors and vehicle hood ornaments. The Romans would celebrate the winter solstice in a festival called Saturnalia, named after the god of agriculture. They would decorate trees and their homes with ornaments and candles in honor of the celebration. They would also exchange gifts with one another: Coins were given in hopes of prosperity; pastries were given in hopes of happiness; and lamps were given in hopes of lighting one's path in the future. Wreaths were hung on home doors to celebrate victories. Also, a family would often associate itself with a certain kind of wreath and hang that wreath on its door as a means of differentiating itself from other families (sort of like a family calling card or a house number, things that ancient peoples didn’t have).
Even the Vikings can be found chipping in here with the idea that the evergreen tree meant the beginning of the end of winter (and the beginning of the end of the long darkness and chill that that entailed in Viking homelands).
That mistletoe and holly that seems to populate many homes every December? They're signs of eternal life, and they date back to the Druids of ancient Britain and France, who also placed evergreen branches over their home doorways, to keep evil spirits away. Mistletoe was also a sign of renewed life in Viking traditions. "
NOW THAT'S A FAREWELL PICTURE!!!
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mamie4 5/14/03
Updated On: 1/14/06 at 09:23 PM
