THE DECORATIONS THAT MAKE CHRISTMAS

Stockings, tinsel and fairy lights at the ready, we take a look at the origins of 12 key Christmas ornaments

What to most of us is a mere decorative !ourish, bought or cra"ed to add a welcoming accent to our front doors, has a much deeper meaning. To Christians, wreaths are seen as symbolic of Jesus’ su#ering: the holly representing his crown of thorns; the berries his drops of blood; and the evergreen quality of pine and $r branches his resurrection and eternal life. Although history is a li%le vague on when we started to hang wreaths from our doors at Christmas, and whether it was indeed sparked by the Christian symbolism, evergreen branches have had positive connotations since ancient Rome. They were given as gi"s on New Year’s Eve as a symbol of health and wellbeing and, eventually, these branches were fashioned into wreaths: the circle signifying unity.