Ever wonder about some of our common customs, like the hanging of a circle of evergreen boughs on the front door during the Christmas season? Though today’s wreath suffers from a lack of historical context, getting thrown in the superficial seasonal mix along with poinsettias and paperwhites, it wasn’t always just a decorating exercise.

The word wreath has the same root as the old English writhe, meaning "something twisted" (hence, writhed in pain) and its first recorded use was around 1450. But the wreath as both a garland to be worn on the head (called a corona or diadem) and a wall or altar decoration dates to ancient times. The Greeks, for example, crowned the victors of the early Olympics with a garland of celery, pine, bay laurel or olive leaves, depending on which city hosted the games. Greek soldiers who won great battles were crowned with oak leaves, while scholars, artists and poets wore ivy.

Aromatherapy was popular with the Romans, who wore garlands made of pungent rosemary or mint to clear the head and sharpen memory. Wreaths were also hung on ancient pagan altars to deter evil spirits and welcome benevolent ones, while the wreath as an instrument of torture was seen in Christ’s crown of thorns.

In the Middle Ages, floral and herbal garlands were used to adorn statues of the Christian saints or Virgin Mary. May Day celebrations saw the May Queen or the King of the May crowned with garlands of fresh blossoms, often hawthorn and lily-of-the-valley which bloomed at the same time. Late-summer harvest celebrations featured wreaths fashioned from the last sheaf of wheat or stalk of corn which would be hung on the wall until the following spring, when the farmer would mix them with that season’s seed.

But what about today? Why hang these circles of pine, fir or balsam on our front doors? Christmas falls near the winter solstice and evergreens remind us of nature during winter’s dark days, just as they did for ancient cultures who cut evergreens, holly and mistletoe and brought them indoors to shelter the spirits from winter’s chill.

But even this most cherished of Christian feasts owes more to pagan culture than most know. The Roman feast of Saturnalia honoured Saturn, god of agriculture (our word Saturday comes from “Saturn’s Day) and marked the days leading to the winter solstice -- December 25th on the Julian calendar -- with merrymaking and gift-giving. In 273 A.D., it was adopted by the Christian church as the day to celebrate Christ’s birth, or Christmas.

Add to all that that the shape of the wreath -- the circle -- has long been a symbol of eternity, infinity and the cycle of the seasons, linking the darkest days of winter with the renewal of spring. Even the word "Yule" comes from a Norse word that means wheel.

Now, don’t you think that needle-shedding door decoration with the big red bow seems just a tiny bit more interesting?

Adapted from an article that appeared originally at gardencrazy.com

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