Wreath on the Door

In almost every movie or TV sitcom that airs around Christmas time, you will see a perfect Christmas wreath on the door of a nice house. If you think of the movie A Christmas Carol, or Home Alone, you will definitely picture a Christmas wreath either outside of the home or in it. It's rather iconic in it's symbolism and meaning. It represents the season, and instantly crates a festive aura. It's worth a bit of a look to see how it earned the status it enjoys today.

In earlier times, people would construct these wreaths out of stuff they'd find around their homes. Pine cones, twigs, flowers, and maybe even fruits were all gathered up. The next step was to form it into a ring, and decorate it with ribbons or bows. They had done this for hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. However, in Christianity, this became the symbol that shows that Christ is coming, and marks the start of the Advent season. It's not exclusive to Christianity alone, being used for other holidays , including secular ones as well.

You don't have to be good at arts and crafts and make your own Christmas wreath like they used to in olden days. You can buy them pre-made, and even pre-lit. This makes sense if you've ever tried to wire up a ring made up of prickly twigs and delicate trimmings. Just plug it in and it looks like Christmas magic. A pre-lit Christmas wreath gives your home instant classic-looking appeal. It's a five minute fix to any home that doesn't yet have that "Christmas look".

Besides hanging the wreath on the door, it is also quite popular to hang it above a fireplace or mantel inside the home. You can be creative with where you put your wreath. There's no bad place to hang one. Some people even adorn their car grills with them. Others put theirs on the luggage rack of their SUV. In either case, their ride becomes an instant Christmas-mobile.

Another great place to hang a wreath is at the office. Many times there's not room for a tree, or maybe someone in the office complains about religious paraphernalia. A wreath is a great way around that because it's not officially sanctioned by any religion, or holiday, and it hangs on the wall, taking up hardly any space. It's a perfect way to stay festive, even at work.

While not as popular as a Christmas tree, a Christmas wreath holds its own during the season. It's definitely considered an accessory, and not the main adornment. To put the finishing touches on your Christmas decorating, consider a pre-lit or battery lighted Christmas wreath. You'll likely find that it adds that last little bit of Christmas cheer you've been missing.

Flowers are used for so many different occasions. You give or get flowers when you are happy, thankful, grateful or sad. We all know that funeral service wreaths are very sad and a sign of mourning. Traditionally there is a message written across on the ribbon and they are placed near the graveside or funeral service location.

Some of these messages are traditional while others are more personalized. Sometimes what is written on the ribbon of the funeral wreath is agonized over just as much as the eulogy. While other times a simple message is written with flowers.

They can come in all sizes and shapes. There are generally made with flowers and can either be fresh flowers or silk flowers. They are placed upon a stand at the funeral home or service room so everyone can see them. Sometimes there may be several wreaths at a funeral and is a traditional flower arrangement for many funerals.

People used to place them on their door to let others know that they are grieving. Now of course, things have changed with all of our technology. If you have lost someone that will be in the paper and everyone can read it or perhaps you will post it on Facebook or another social website. We have many ways of letting people know when we have lost a loved one. Families today still use the this floral arrangement as a way to show our sorrow or support. Your local florist or funeral home can provide you with help in the selection if you so desire.

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About the Author:
I am stevenherter read mathematics at Stanford and remained there for his MS. From 1998-1999 on researched in Evolution and in Animal Behavior in Camrbidge, UK. I was was then a professor in the departments of Anthropology and Biology, New Jersy College, USA. Now teaches at the department of Zoology. Carried out research in several areas of evolutionary biology, particularly in sexual selection and the comparative method.