Blumenkrantz

When Garland is called a wreath shaped floral arrangement that uses either as an ornament in the house, or is worn as jewelry on the body. Especially the Polynesian Lei Flower wreaths are known through the ritual as a welcome gift in Hawaii. Floral wreaths are employed in Western cultures especially worn by women (eg as bridal jewelry ).

History of Floral Wreaths

First wreaths were woven in the 5th century BC. The traditional laurel wreaths about serving in the Greek antiquity to crown champions at the games at Delphi. The winner of the Olympic Games received a wreath of oak as a tribute. Even today decorate wreaths as a symbol badges and certificates of honor. These first wreaths were, however, woven of the green or evergreen branches of trees and non-flowering plants. Flowers as a decorative element woven especially young girls into their wreaths. These have been worn with the Teutons to high holidays or seasonal changes as ornaments in their hair. With the spread of Christianity and the suppression or reinterpretation of pagan holidays, the importance of the flower ring was lost again in Europe. This only changed after the French Revolution, when flowers and floral gifts again became fashionable. A special form of the crown led the Evangelical Lutheran theologian Johann Hinrich Wichern at the beginning of the 19th century: In order to facilitate the wait for Christmas children, he invented the Advent wreath, then still decorated with 24 candles, the path from 1 December symbolized through Christmas.

Use and meaning

Floral wreaths are now used mainly for two purposes: First, they serve as a decorative house and room decorations, such as a door wreath. On the other hand, he decorated persons, whereby it has a particular symbolic power. Find use mainly:

• Wedding ring: press from the flowers of innocence and youthfulness as door decorations on the doorstep of the couple or the hair of the bride.
• Funeral Wreath: The round shape of the ring without beginning and end symbolizes infinity, the green color of the hope of a life after death and a reunion with relatives in the afterlife.
• Will put visitors to Hawaii around the neck and symbolize hospitality and pleasure: Polynesian Lei wreaths.

In wreaths that are hung as decorations in the house or on doors, the meaning is different depending on the season: Even with them is the round shape for infinite and the eternal cycle of the seasons. Traditionally they are decorated in autumn with fruits and berries, to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. In the winter, according to the popular belief expel demons and witches evergreen branches as yew, spruce, boxwood, arborvitae and holly. Mistletoe since Celtic times apply already as conqueror of darkness and therefore are still popularly used in winter floral wreaths. Decorative, decorated with flowers wreaths to welcome the spring and summer.