I was planning on writing about these for a while, and sure enough when I studied them, I realized people would think I was rigging this series. Evidentally the Lutherans invented these too! (I didn’t know before, honest!)
In any case, wreaths are very old, and go back to Ancient Greece and Rome. However, in terms of using them for Christmas, the idea seemed to have begun in the 16th century in Lutheran Germany / HRE. They were lighted with candles during the darkest time of the year, and they were used to teach children about God.
The use of evergreen branches symbolized everlasting life, which came from God alone, who had no beginning or end like the circular ring of the wreath. As we spoke about before, Advent was the beginning of the Liturgical Calendar and Church Year which was a constant cycle, which the wreath also symbolized.
