Reindeer Peeking Through a Wreath

About this drawing

A reindeer Christmas wreath puts a playful face on an ancient symbol. A circle has no beginning and no end, so people have long seen it as a sign of eternity. Evergreen branches stayed alive through the coldest months, offering a promise that spring would eventually come back.

Greeks and Romans wove laurel into crowns for athletes and generals, and Romans hung wreaths on doors to mark victories. Northern Europeans brought greenery indoors during midwinter festivals. Christians later gave those customs new meanings, linking holly and evergreen rings with the season of Christ's birth.

The Advent wreath has a surprisingly specific origin. In 1839, a Lutheran pastor in Hamburg named Johann Hinrich Wichern ran a school for poor children, and they kept asking how long it was until Christmas. He placed candles on an old cart wheel and lit one more each day. Fir branches were added later, and the design was eventually simplified to four candles. German immigrants brought it to the United States, and it is now common in American churches. The decorative front door wreath is another thing entirely. It became a favorite of American homeowners, who dress it up with pinecones and bows as a friendly sign of welcome to anyone stopping by.

• reindeer
• christmas wreath
• holly
• ornaments