Date: Fri 18-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Sullivan-wreath-pinecones

Full Text:

GARDENKIDS: Holiday Traditions, Family Projects

By Pat Sullivan

During the holidays we bring beautiful outdoor greens inside to decorate our

homes. We hang garlands and wreaths, put up and decorate trees and fill our

abodes with flowering plants grown especially for Christmas.

I never wondered how these traditions got started until a friend recently told

me that every winter she buys a book about Christmas traditions to read with

her son. That got my curiosity up and off to the library I went.

I found that these customs began more than 2,000 years ago. Pagans believed

that evergreens, plants that "do not die" by staying green year round, stood

for life. When the sun was at its lowest point in the sky, known as the winter

solstice, they brought evergreens inside believing this would help the sun

rise again. It reminded them that spring would indeed return and bring back

vegetation to their otherwise brown and "dead" forests.

They also used the godlike powers of the evergreens to protect their homes and

scare off ghosts and witches they thought had crept in to get warm. They hung

holly to prick the witches and burned juniper berries to chase away demons. In

addition to holly and juniper, typical greens found in their homes and temples

were pine, spruce, fir, boxwood, bay, mistletoe, ivy and rosemary.

The most popular Christmas symbols have become the Christmas tree and wreaths.

We are uncertain when the Christmas tree first came to America. Its tradition

must have been fairly well established, however, by the mid 1800s because in

1856 President Franklin Pierce showed off the first one in the White House.

The Christmas wreath is said to have originated from Christ's crown of thorns.

Even though the crown is associated with Christ's death rather than His birth,

the wreath has remained a holiday tradition.

We generally involve our children in shopping for and decorating our trees,

but not wreaths. In today's do-it-yourself spirit, many of us are making and

decorating our own wreaths. Believe it or not, this is something quite simple

your children can do too. As opposed to a tree which is adorned and shared by

the whole family, a wreath is very personal.

This is a project for children 8 years and older. Younger fingers aren't quite

yet nimble and strong enough.

Your first step is finding a wire or grapevine ring, available at many garden

centers. I recommend the 10-inch size ring as it can be finished before

impatience creeps in.

While you're at the garden center, pick up some Christmas tree boughs. You

might get some that have been cut from the tree trunks for free. Add a little

juniper, pine or boxwood if you want some dimension and interest in your

greens. Check out your yard before you go -- you might find plenty of greens

there and save a purchase at the garden center.

When you get home cut the greens into 6-inch lengths and spread them out on a

table. Gather 3 to 4 stems into a bunch and wire them together with a 16-inch

piece of floral wire. Save half of the wire with which to wrap the bunch onto

the ring. Place each new bunch onto the ring so that the top part covers the

bottom of the previous bunch. Spacing will be about 3 inches.

It is important to pull the wire very tightly as you secure the bunch to the

ring, otherwise they will flop around. It should take about 15 or so bunches

to complete a ring.

Kids really go to town when it's time to decorate. Have dried flowers, large

and small pinecones, ribbons and anything else that strikes your child's fancy

available. All can be attached with wire.

If you don't have the time to make a wreath from scratch, try buying a plain

fresh one and let your children decorate it on their own. Allow them to hang

it anywhere in the house such as on their bedroom door. I assure you they will

take great pride in the finished product and love having it in a very personal

place.

Happy holidays!

(Pat Sullivan is a children's gardening consultant, master gardener and

instructor at the New York Botanical Garden's Children's Garden. She can be

contacted through e-mail at psullitex@aol.com.)