Christmas Wreath and Christmas Decorations Blog

Christmas Wreath Traditions

2009-11-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas wreath traditions date back to at least the 17th century. Displaying a wreath on the outside of your door symbolized that your home was one that was celebrating the birth of Christ.

Wreaths were originally made of holly, which has several religious meanings. The sharp leaves symbolize the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during the Crucifixion. The red berries symbolize the blood of Christ. Another story tells how the berries were thought to have been originally white. They were offered to the newborn Jesus by a child. The holly pricked the finger of Christ and then the berries blushed red in shame. Wreaths decorated with red and white berries are popular for this reason.

Today, Christmas wreaths are used to decorate and celebrate the holiday season in a lot of ways. They are made of all kinds of things from fresh balsam fir to teddy bears and are used as corporate Christmas gifts, retail holiday decorations, home door decorations, and more. Wreaths can be seen all over the world during the holidays and to most people symbolize peace and giving during the season.

Many people are concerned with the commercialization of Christmas, but still wish to give meaningful gifts to friends and family. Fresh wreaths and table decorations make wonderful gifts for the holidays. They can be given as thank you gifts, hostess gifts, corporate gifts, and more. They can be decorated with pine cones and berries to maintain the natural look and aroma that makes a real Christmas wreath so desirable. Fresh centerpieces for the table are also very popular. Unlike flowers, an evergreen centerpiece can last for months if properly cared for.

Fresh Christmas table runners and wreaths can be enjoyed all through the holiday season. Customers, visitors and passer bys will all be asking where the beautiful wreath or table accent came from. You can be proud to give a real wreath knowing that it will help get people in the holiday spirit. Living gifts are a unique and beautiful way to show your appreciation, love or gratitude for someone.

Another holiday tradition related to the Christmas wreath is kissing underneath the mistletoe. One story says that mistletoe was considered sacred by the Druids and was not allowed to touch the ground. Therefore, the mistletoe was hung, and in recognition of its sacred status, people meeting underneath it must kiss. Others think that the tradition was started by the Scandinavians, who believed that mistletoe was a symbol of peace. Enemies meeting under the mistletoe had to declare a truce and seal it with a kiss.

This is a fun tradition to follow and many people do. Mistletoe is pretty small and sometimes unnoticeable. Another option is to hang a kissing ball. A kissing ball is bigger and is decorated with bows, berries and pinecones, like the wreath. It is made from fragrant evergreen foliage. Kissing balls go great with matching wreaths and make an excellent gift choice for the holidays.

Traditions can be spread through cultures, religions, regions or families. Traditions help us to remember the past and honor the ones who came before us. They are most often passed down from parents to children. The great thing about a tradition is that you can start one on your own. Pass down your beliefs, customs and practices to your children. Feel free to start your own traditions together. Whether it involves kissing underneath the kissing ball or giving a fresh Christmas wreath to the host of Thanksgiving dinner, your family will feel closer when practicing it.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Christmas Wreath Giveaway Contest Rules

2009-11-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

Twitter Christmas Wreath Giveaway Contest
Accepting entries through November 30th.
Winners Chosen Dec. 1

Contest Rules

Here are the general contest rules

1. Must include @reply to ChristmasWreath and hashtag #ChristmasWreath. Must also follow @ChristmasWreath.

2. You must comment on TwitPic at http://www.twitpic.com/pew4u, and failure of TwitPic is not our responsibility. There may be a puzzle to solve, in which case you must solve it in your TwitPic comment.

3. To be be eligible to win, you must tweet and include the following: “@ChristmasWreath" and use hashtag "#ChristmasWreath”.

4. Cash given away by Acadia Wreath Company to random winner selected solely by Acadia Wreath Company. There will be three winners. Winner based on random number generator. All winner decisions final and judged by the Law Office of David Gottfried in Austin, Texas.

5. Must include hashtag #ChristmasWreath and @ChristmasWreath in each eligible entry. You will not threaten us in any way nor any other player.

6. Must have Continental U.S. mailing address to mail Christmas Wreath to, and be willing to divulge winning address via DM to @ChristmasWreath.

7. Each entry counts one time, but feel free to enter as many times as you want as long as you follow the rules and RT and @reply to @ChristmasWreath and use hashtag #christmaswreath

8. You must be at least 18 years of age to win and have proof of age and valid state or federal issued ID and SSN which you will fax to Acadia Wreath Company immediately upon request for age verification purposes. No entries from minors accepted. Must be a real person with a real U.S. address. Must be able to verify by ID faxed to US number. If there is any question on the part of Acadia Wreath Company, we reserve right to disqualify.

9. We reserve the right to modify rules as necessary. Specifically, if entrants get unruly, "in your face", or start causing other problems with the other entries, or cause discord between entrants.

10. Automated tweets, any tweets not originating from a physical human being, or any tweets that are a violation of Twitter's terms of service are ineligible. Any violation of any law renders entry ineligible. Tweets not physically entered by a human being manually are ineligible. Tweets violating the spirit of these rules are ineligible and eligibility of any given tweet will be at our sole discretion.

Be Green this Christmas

2009-11-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

Be all green this Christmas and give useful but natural gifts to your best friends and others. Perhaps give unusual Christmas gifts like items friends would not normally purchase but that represent the essence of the holidays. For example, a green Christmas wreath is an accessory that visibly tells everyone a person is in the spirit of the season at first glance to their doorway. They are nice hung inside the home also and many are very fragrant.

Think of items that are reusable, recyclable, and renewable. A gift card that can be reloaded with more cash is better than one that is just pitched in the trash when used up. If you have a favorite book consider passing it along as a gift, with a note to the receiver to do the same when they have finished reading it. Homemade gifts from the kitchen are always a holiday hit. Make creative and colorful quilts from clothing that is no longer needed. Making something new from old is like a plant blooming year after year.

There are many “green” gifts you can give or make. For example, colorful recycling bins are a really unusual but useful gift. It may seem odd at first, but you will be in your friend’s thoughts all year around as they use the bins. An assortment of green cleaning agents is another useful but earth friendly idea. None of these ideas are fattening, but surely there are some holiday treat ideas that are available, such as healthy fruit baskets or a reusable container filled with chocolates.

You can create a green holiday experience for yourself as you shop for everyone on your holiday list. Another way to give an ecologically friendly gift would be to take your intended recipient shopping with you so they can pick out their own choice as you guide them towards green gift selections.

Most people enjoy having the "normal" trimmings of the holiday season, such as holiday welcome mats, Christmas wreaths, garlands and lighting. But if person is somehow having a hard time, the bleakness of their situation can seem even lonelier at holiday times. Giving earth friendly green gifts like a freshly made Christmas wreath can not only lift spirits but also remind them of the loveliness of living things. Take a few moments this year as you comprise your gift list and think green for those unusual and welcome holiday gifts!

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Your Favorite Family Christmas Traditions Bring the Holidays Alive

2009-11-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

With the holidays quickly coming upon us, it can be easy to get caught up in the commercial aspect of this important day. Of course, the gifts will need to be purchased. However, by focusing on your favorite family Christmas traditions, you can be sure that your family will remember what is really important. After all, the holidays aren't really about what you get, but the people you love and the time you spend together. Keeping those traditions alive and passing them down is one of the best parts of the season.

No discussion on favorite family Christmas traditions is complete without decorating the Christmas tree and the traditional
Christmas wreath. Many people collect ornaments as the children in the family grow. Each year when the tree is pulled out, the memories come with it. Other families take a hands-on approach and spend time hand crafting ornaments as a family. In addition, decorating and placing the door wreath signals the beginning of the holiday season. Each time your family walks in the door, they get a visual reminder of the joy surrounding these merry months. These two things mark the beginning of Christmas cheer and open the door for many more fun family times.

Another common tradition is baking and cookie making. The Christmas season is steeped with smells and tastes that tantalize. It is common for grandmothers to teach their grandchildren their secret recipes. Cookie exchanges are also increasingly popular. Each guest makes several dozen of their favorite recipe. The selection is then mixed up, allowing each guest to come home with a variety of Christmas cookies. If you don't already do this, consider throwing a cookie exchange party this year for the first time and making it one of your favorite family Christmas traditions.

In addition to the tree and great food, Christmas just would not be complete without the music filling the already decked halls. There are dozens of traditions that incorporate the amazing seasonal music. Many communities put on concerts or plays during this time. In fact, you may be surprised to find that many of these are free. You could soak in Handel's Messiah, for example, for nothing but the cost of your gas. Participating in such things can also be a great tradition for your family. Finally, who can resist that classic caroling choir? This can be an extremely enjoyable evening activity for your family. Invite all your friends along as well. When it comes to caroling, more is definitely merrier.

As you can see, there's so much more to the holiday season than getting stuff. In fact, with the proper attitude, you can teach your kids to appreciate your favorite family Christmas traditions even more than gifts. After all, the traditions make the holiday come alive for the whole season and and not just for a day.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Best Christmas Gifts for Unemployed

2009-10-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

Given the state of today’s economy, as well as the current unemployment rate, there will be many who will find it necessary to cut back on Christmas expenses this year. Chances are, there is at least one person on your Christmas list that is currently unemployed. Deciding what to give this person may be a difficult decision for some. An expensive, frivolous gift that they may not get much use out of is probably not a good decision. For the person who is currently unemployed, a thoughtful, more practical gift will likely be much more appreciated. Here are a few suggestions:

•Everybody loves to greet their friends and family with a fresh Christmas wreath hung on the door! In addition, a
Christmas wreath can help bring joy and Christmas spirit to the person who may find it necessary to cut corners on Christmas this year. The person who is unemployed this season will likely not spend money on Christmas decorations.

•Buy them a gift certificate or tickets for some fun event or entertainment that their whole family can enjoy. If they love movies buy a gift certificate to the movies, skating,
sports events are all things they wouldn’t treat themselves to which would be a real treat for them. Also, gift certificates to restaurants are always a great gift.

•Buy a large, useful container, such as a laundry basket or trashcan, and fill it with everyday items. You may also include a few snacks or pampering items they may not think to buy for themselves, such as a package of fresh herbal tea, or some relaxing bath oils or candles.

•Take Christmas to them this year. Bring a little excitement and joy to what might be a bit of a depressing season for them this year. Load up your car with Christmas essentials, such as decorations, Christmas music, cookie or candy making supplies, and a bright, cheerful smile, and haul it all over to their home for some Christmas fun. You could even tie a tree to the top of your vehicle.!

•Think of a creative way to give them money, such as tied to the branches of a money tree. While some may consider a simple gift of money to not have much thought behind it, it may be the most thoughtful gift you could give to the person on your list that is currently unemployed.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

A Christmas Centerpiece for Christmas Dinner Table

2009-10-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

The Christmas season is about celebrating life and all the joy it brings with your friends and family. What better way is there to celebrate the season than with a traditional Christmas dinner? Every year families gather around the table to partake in delicious morsels while enjoying each others company. While a lot of the focus is on the delectable turkey or grandma's famous pecan pie, there is another tradition that stands out in one's mind – the Christmas centerpiece as the central focus of the table.

The reason why a Christmas centerpiece stands out in everybody's mind is because it is the anchor of the table; it is a beautiful reminder of the Christmas spirit and everything the season represents. The traditional Christmas centerpiece was most similar to today’s advent wreath, which is often decorated with holly, poinsettias, pine cones and candles. Many will also add other familiar Christmas decorations, such as bows or Christmas tree ornaments. The Christmas table centerpiece is as old of a tradition as Christmas dinner itself, and people often wonder what exactly the components of the Christmas centerpiece represents.

A pine or balsam bough or any evergreen branch is wrapped into a circular wreath, which in itself represents many things. The green color symbolizes hope and new life, while the circular shape alludes to everlasting joy. Traditional Christmas wreath centerpieces were decorated with four candles, which marked the beginning and end of the Christmas season, otherwise known as the four weeks of Advent. The first candle would be lit on the Sunday closest to November 30th, and another one would be lit every Sunday until the last candle was lit on Christmas Eve. The candles not only represented weeks, however, but also hope, joy, love and peace.

Christians adopted decorating with holly from the Druids, who believed that the prickly green plant and its little red berries stood for fertility and eternal life. While the Druids believed that cutting down a holly tree was bad luck, Christians believed that decorating with holly brought good luck to the home. Nowadays people often refer to the red berries as symbols of Christ's blood and the pointed leaves represent the crown of the thorns that was placed on Jesus' head. The pine cones used to decorate wreaths are meant to symbolize the seeds of faith sown by Christ, and poinsettias represent genuine love.

No matter what you believe, decorating the table with a Christmas centerpiece is always a fun tradition to take part in. A beautiful centerpiece is bound to be the focal point of any table, and is something you can enjoy year after year. A Christmas centerpiece is a reminder to love, to be joyous and not to fight over the dinner rolls!

Shopping for a Christmas Wreath

2009-10-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

I always know when the Christmas season has officially begun when my mom and dad tell my brother and I that it is time to shop for a new Christmas wreath. Every year on the first of December we go as a family to pick out a wreath for the front door. I really like helping pick out a Christmas wreath because it is the first thing people see when they walk up to our house, so we always pick out a Christmas wreath that is sure give visitors a warm welcome.

There are always a lot of different wreaths to choose from. We always see a lot of wreaths made out of plastic that are covered with decorations like lights or fake fruit, and sometimes we see wreaths that are made out of shiny tinsel. Plastic and tinsel wreaths can be really pretty, but I wouldn't want one hanging on our door because our guests may think our welcome is fake, just like the wreath. One time I saw a wreath that was made out of feathers! A lady told us that they were fake peacock feathers, and that they are supposed to bring good luck to the home. The feathers were really bright blue and green, and even though it was beautiful we decided that it just wasn't Christmas-y enough. We want a wreath that reminds people that it is the most joyous time of the year!

My favorite Christmas wreaths are definitely fresh wreaths, because they smell as good as they look. Last year we picked out a fresh Balsam Fir wreath that we decorated with pine cones and ribbons, and I always loved walking up to the front door after school. There's nothing like smelling Christmas as you walk up to the front door! Any problems I might have had during the day just melt away when I smell that fresh wreath. Every time I see a fresh Christmas wreath it reminds me of home. It reminds me of walking through the front door to find my mom baking gingerbread cookies and warming up by the fire after playing in the snow. Fresh Christmas wreaths remind me and my family of all the good the holidays have to offer.

That is why every year we always pick out a fresh Christmas wreath for our front door, even if we look at all the other types of wreaths first. I just don't think that any other type of wreath would be as welcoming as a fresh wreath and they don’t have that Christmas-y smell. My dad always tells us that a wreath symbolizes eternal joy, and I can see why he says that. Every time I get home from school and see a wreath on the door the joy of Christmas fills my heart.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Why I Like the Kissing Ball

2009-10-13T12:02:00.001-07:00

A tradition in my family is hanging the kissing ball. The kissing ball is always the last decoration we hang, and we always have a giant party to celebrate. My family, friends and neighbors come over to eat dinner and dessert, and halfway through the evening my dad hangs the kissing ball in the doorway between the dining room and the living room.

After it is hung everybody takes turns walking underneath the kissing ball to the living room, where they leave a piece of paper with an act they forgive another person for in a bowl, and something they hope to be forgiven of. We mix up all the papers and throughout the night my mom reads the forgiveness slips out loud. This is my favorite part of the night, because whenever something that is forgiven corresponds with something that somebody hoped to be forgiven of, we all cheer “to peace!” and take a sip of our drink. There are never any names written on the slips, so nobody gets embarrassed, but it's always nice when you know you're being forgiven for something. I also like it because sometimes it's easier to forgive somebody on paper than it is to say it out loud.

Also, whenever you pass underneath the kissing ball at the same time somebody else does, you have to give them a kiss! Every year Melissa, the neighbor girl, always tries to trick me into walking underneath the kissing ball with her. I try to avoid her, but somehow she always manages to sneak in beside me as I'm walking underneath it! It's not that I mind kissing her on the cheek so much, but my brother and my uncle always tease me afterwards, which can be pretty embarrassing. Sometimes I write down that I forgive them for embarrassing me on my forgiveness slip.

I've always wondered where the tradition of the kissing ball came from, and this year my teacher explained it to my class. Hanging the kissing ball comes from the tradition of hanging mistletoe, which comes from a Scandinavian belief that mistletoe was a plant of peace. An ancient custom from Scandinavia was that if enemies happened to meet each other beneath mistletoe, they would lay down their arms until the next day, and that is why we kiss underneath mistletoe.

We used to hang mistletoe, but one year some of the berries fell off and my mom was afraid my little sister or our cat, Missy, would eat the berries and get sick, so we started putting up a kissing ball instead. I like the kissing ball better than mistletoe because it is still a symbol of peace and forgiveness, but it is safer and prettier than mistletoe.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

A Wonderful Advent Wreath Story

2009-09-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

“What are you doing, great-grams?”

She looked at me over the tops of her glasses, the way she does when she's reading to me from the Bible to see if I'm paying attention. I really was interested, she could tell. I know because she took off her glasses, letting them hang by the silver beaded chain around her neck.

“I'm making the Advent wreath for the church.”

“What's the Advent? And why do they get a fancy wreath?” I reached for the purple ribbon with a finger. “Can I feel it?”

“Are your hands clean? Is your heart pure?”

I could feel my nose wrinkle. “I'll go wash. And say a prayer.”

Grams smiled, putting her glasses on again. “When you come back, I'll tell you the story of the Advent wreath.” Another glance over her glasses at me. “Don't cut your washing or your prayers short, or the story will be very short.”

“Yes, ma'am.” I ran off, not noticing her loving smile follow me. I was back with my face pink and a peaceful heart in almost no time. Grams did her sideways-look at me.

I could feel the blush make my freckles jump out. “I washed behind my ears, too!”

She nodded, tying the last bit of wire holding the evergreens to the small spoked wheel. “You know Christmas is coming?”

Nodding, I glanced at the Nativity set up on the corner table. “The birth of the Christ child.”

“Exactly. Well, in the old days....”

“When you were my age?”

“A bit before then, dear. Would you like to help?” She turned the wreath, checking the greens for gaps. “The Advent wreath is special to the church. There are a lot of symbols.” She touched the purple silk. “The purple ribbon is the old symbol of royalty. Christ was also known as “The Prince of Peace.”

She pointed, “These candles all have names. The first is the Prophet's candle. It means 'Hope' for the Coming.” She looked at me, “You understand about hope?”

“I hope so!” I said, handing her the candle.

“Hope is not about what will happen, it's about what may happen. You have to believe in order for hope to work.” She said. “It's not about what you want or need. It's the devout wish for something beyond your experience. Something greater than yourself.”

“Yes, ma'am.” I reached out and touched the second candle, the wax silky smooth. “This one is named?”

“The Bethlehem candle. For the town where Christ was born. It means 'Peace'.”

“And this one? It's not purple, it's pink!” I sniffed. “It smells good. Like roses.”

“That's because it's special. The Shepherds candle. It means 'Joy'. It goes here.” she pointed. “Can you guess the name of the last candle?”

“No....”

“It's called the Angel's candle.” We put in the Advent wreath together.

“I love you, Grams.”

“I know, dear. That's what this candle means. And the reason we remember the birth of Christ.”

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

The Story Behind The Christmas Wreath

2009-09-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Christmas wreath is as popular today as it was when it was first introduced to the world. People take great pains to make these beautiful Christmas decorations but most people have no idea just how far back the tradition of the wreath really goes. It goes back to Pagan times and the ancient culture of the Persian Empire. The wreath that was hung on the doors of the family homes during this time was actually a symbol of wealth and importance. Granted, the wreaths of the Persian Empire were smaller than the ones that hang on doors today. As a matter of fact, they were worn on the head and were encrusted with jewels. The Greeks made wreaths of laurel that were placed on the heads of winning athletes during the Olympic Games.

This tradition was continued by the Romans and they were worn on the heads of leaders, such as Julius Caesar. Eventually they moved from headgear to wall and door decorations, possibly as a souvenir of the athlete’s victory. It is believed that this is how the tradition of hanging them on the wall was born. From here the tradition of hanging a wreath made of evergreen was started and it moved into Eastern Europe. The wreath was decorated with candles and lit during the cold winter evening in order to help rush in spring and the good weather.

The Christmas wreath tradition moved from pagan traditions to a Christian tradition, typically used by the Catholics. The wreath was hung up during Advent and they usually had four candles in the middle of the evergreen circle. The wreath today is a circle, signifying that it had no beginning and no end and is considered in the Christian religion a symbol of God and eternity. The candles in the wreath were traditionally white or three violets and one rose. Each candle was lit everyday with the exception of the middle candle which was not lit until Christmas Eve. They were usually lit right before dinner.

The Christmas wreath is quite often made of evergreen boughs of holly and they can be real or artificial. While an artificial wreath will last considerably longer, they don’t have the same smell as a fresh wreath when made of real pine and other items. It can be decorated today with traditional items, such as pine cones, fruits, berries, lace and ribbon or it can be made with more modern materials for a different look.

Whether you hand make a Christmas wreath or buy one from the store it is important to remember how the wreath got its start and to reflect upon what it means to you and your family. These holiday decorations are a joy to behold on every door and make your home look warm and inviting no matter how you decorate it.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Making Christmas Decorations with Your Family

2009-09-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

Children love to talk about Christmas. The following story was told by a young child when asked what her favorite time of year was.

“Christmas is my favorite time of the year; you don't have to go to school, you're allowed to eat all the cookies you want, and, of course, there are presents! But my favorite thing to do during the Christmas season is decorating the house with my mom and little sister. Each Christmas we come up with a theme as a family and create Christmas decorations together, which is always a whole lot of fun. This year we chose the theme 'Joy', and decided that our decoration colors should be purple and white. We chose purple because it is my little sister's favorite color and white because it is the color of snow, which we all love very much!”

“Mom decided that we should decorate the fireplace mantle with our theme word so she bought large wooden letters that we could paint and decorate with old Christmas ornaments and decorations. My mom painted the J purple with white stripes so it looked like a candy cane, and then she tied a big dark purple bow around the top of the letter. My sister painted the O white with a lot of purple dots, and then we glued little bells in the center of some of the circles. I decided to paint the Y purple with the word 'Joy' repeating throughout it in white paint, and then I glued some white garland on the outer edge of the letter so it looks like a border. So far everybody who has seen it says how pretty it is, and they are always really surprised when they find out we made it ourselves! “

“Another home made Christmas decoration we made this year was wrapping pictures hanging around our house like presents! We rolled some wrapping paper on the floor and set the pictures on it, then cut it to size and taped the paper to back of the frames. My sister and I weren't very good wrappers, so my mom helped us make it look really nice. After that we taped ribbon and bows onto the “presents” and put them back up on the wall. We all liked how it looked so much we also wrapped the bathroom cabinet doors, so now we have even more presents to look at. I think I like this Christmas decoration most of all because it reminds me of all the presents I'll open on Christmas morning!”

I love hearing about the different Christmas decorations families make together. A lot of families today join together in going to the Christmas tree farm to pick out their tree and cut it down which is a wonderful annual family tradition. Few families go to the trouble of making their own Christmas wreath but many will apply their own custom decorations to a Christmas wreath they buy. Everyone likes to make the holiday special by decorating inside and outside their homes and this makes the holiday season truly special.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

The Victorian Kissing Ball

2009-08-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows about stealing a kiss under the mistletoe but not everyone knows about the kissing ball. This ornament harks back to Colonial days in America and it was a popular Christmas decoration during the Victorian era in England. It is the predecessor of the tradition of hanging mistletoe in a doorway and why many people stopped using this particular ornament is unclear. What is clear is that it is starting to come back into ‘style’ today as more and more people discover this unique Christmas decoration.

The kissing ball has always been made of evergreen boughs and mistletoe, unless you purchase a modern one that is made of some type of material that will not wilt or fade as it gets old. Bay and pine, rosemary, lavender and thyme were also used in the ball when they were handmade. During the Victorian era, the base of the ball was made from an apple or a potato. Each of the flowers or herbs that were used in the construction of the ball had a meaning. For example, mistletoe was used to help the people who kissed beneath it overcome difficulties throughout the year.

In addition to the base, herbs, and pine used in the decoration, they were also decorated with ribbons, other small ornaments, and sometimes even lighted candles. The ball was also made using a double hoop made of metal or grapevine for the base and this particular style had a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the center. In Canada, the kissing ball also included nuts, berries, pinecones, and sometimes even popcorn. It also replaced the traditional Christmas tree in Canada where many of the homes in the northern regions of the country were too small to accommodate a tree.

Just like the popular tradition of kissing under the mistletoe today, couples would kiss beneath a kissing ball in olden days. Young women who were caught under the decoration had to pay the price and give the gentleman who caught her there a kiss. Some other traditions stated that couples that kissed beneath the ball would stay together for the year and maybe even marry. In order to ensure that the power of the herbs and plants used in the ball lasted throughout the year, the kissing ball was traditionally burned on Twelfth Night.

If you are interested in making your own decoration for your home, there are numerous craft instructions available on the Internet for you use. These instructions range from making a small ball with the traditional apple or potato base to actually growing a ball in a round metal frame planter that includes ivy, holly, and other Christmastime plants that can be started growing early in the year so that it is ready to decorate for the holidays.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Christmas Wreath is a Warm Welcome and Great Gift in Bad Economy

2008-11-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

Most Americans are hunkering down during the current economic crisis which is hitting hard right at our most joyous time of year. It seems politically incorrect even for those not suffering undue financial stress to spend a lot of money this year for the holidays. Even though the cost of gasoline is half what it was just two months ago most people continue to cut back on unnecessary driving. Let’s hope we all keep conserving as these lessons need to become habit.

The expenses related to the holiday season are huge if you add them all together. We not only have the expense of purchasing gifts but travel related expenses are high as we all want to be with our families. Christmas decorating expenses can really add up with all the gift wrap, Christmas tree and tree decorations, Christmas lights and other decorations inside and outside our homes. Many people put thousands of lights on their homes and we all love driving around the neighborhood to see all of them. But is it politically correct this year. And more important – can they afford to pay the resulting electric bill.

So if you are stressing about the holiday season due to the financial outlays think about how and where to cut your expenses so that you can still enjoy the season. Most people hang a Christmas wreath on their door for the holidays. This is the most affordable outside decoration for your home. And it is all you need. Save money by not putting up all those outdoor lights and have a fresh, green, natural Christmas wreathon your door to say welcome and Happy Holidays to all.

The yearly problem of what to buy for gifts for people who already have everything they need. Does Aunt Sally really need those extra pair of slippers or would she get more enjoyment out of a fresh, natural Christmas centerpiece with the wonderful balsam fragrance most associated with Christmas? Fresh Christmas Wreaths and Christmas Centerpieces shipped directly from the Maine woods are a much loved gift. And they are affordable and can be ordered easily online. This gift can be sent every year. It really solves the annual dilemma of what to buy everyone. This is a gift everyone does want every year and look forward to receiving.

This year send a warm welcoming fresh Christmas wreath to your friends and family. Support the green economy with a fresh, natural, gift that is harvested in a sustainable manner from the world renowned Maine woods.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Personalize Your Christmas Wreath This Year

2008-10-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

A Christmas wreath is something you see on almost every door during the holiday season. For some people it is their only outdoor decoration and others go all out with lights and Santa Claus on the roof but still have that Christmas wreath on the door.

Add meaning to your Christmas wreath this year by decorating it with things you love. Buy a beautiful Christmas wreath and add your own decorations to it. Look around your yard and find natural decorations. If you have an oak tree you can gather up some of the oak nuts and attach them. You can use fishing line or a glue gun to attach the decorations to the wreath. Cut off a couple branches from your burning bush and add those.

If you are a bird lover, buy a few small stuffed birds at your local craft store to use on your wreath. Winter doves, cardinals and chickadees are favorites. If you love the ocean, add sea shells, sea urchin shells, starfish, sand dollars and other sea life like hermit crab shells. These all look beautiful displayed amongst the fresh balsam fir boughs of the Christmas wreath.

Sports lovers can add decorations for their favorite teams. A Boston Red Sox fan can add a small Red Sox pennant or other nick knack with the team logo on it. Tennis lovers can add a tennis ball and tennis racket ornaments. Everyone in the family can have their favorite sport or team represented. A golf ornament attached for Dad, tennis ornament for Mom, soccer ball for the kids and a Red Sox ornament for everyone.

Candy lovers can add small candy canes and hard candy. Visitors can help themselves and you can replenish the candy on the Christmas wreath as needed.

Consider adding fruit to your wreath. Red fruits like pomegranates, crabapples, sprigs of red pepper berries and of course, holly berries, look beautiful. Eucalyptus, magnolia, holly and amaryllis also look wonderful. Eucalyptus adds a pungent aroma to the fresh, fragrant scent of the balsam fir.

Add garland around your door and continue the decorating theme of your Christmas wreath on the garland. Put a family photo in a frame at the center of the garland above the door with your favorite holiday greeting beneath it. This adds a personal welcome from your whole family to all visitors.

Lights can also be added to Christmas wreaths. Buy a string of battery operated lights and string them through the wreath. Use your imagination to make your Christmas wreath unique and personal this year. It’s much easier if you start out with a fresh Christmas wreath and add your own decorations to it.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Maine Christmas Wreaths For Christmas In July

2008-10-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Christmas in July is becoming more popular every year. It is used most often by retailers as a marketing tool. Many stores have Christmas in July sales. Seasonal businesses like campgrounds will have Christmas in July celebrations as a fun festivity. Campers decorate their campers and a contest is held for the best decorated campsite. Traditional natural decorations are limited for use in the hot summer months but many alternatives are available.

Artificial or twig christmas wreaths are used to decorate rather than fresh balsam christmas wreaths which Maine is famous for. However, the fragrance of freshly mowed lawns, lilacs, wildflowers and outdoor barbeques don’t replace the unique aroma associated with Christmas that only balsam fir has.

Fresh balsam boughs when cut from the balsam trees during the summer months lose their needles quickly. Most balsam boughs are harvested from early October to early December in Maine to make fresh Christmas wreaths and Christmas centerpieces. The balsam boughs retain their needles best if harvested after the second hard frost. If you have received a fresh balsam Christmas wreath whose needles have fallen off quickly its likely that the balsam boughs were harvested before the cold fall weather has set the branches of the balsam fir tree. Setting seals the branch's pores with wax and the needles will stay on the branch for months after cutting.

Consequently, fresh balsam isn’t used often for Christmas in July wreaths. They are not commercially available. At Acadia Wreath Company we have sent out samples of our fresh balsam christmas wreaths to corporate christmas wreath clients in the summer months but we make sure they understand that it’s going to turn brown fast and the needles are going to fall off quickly.

Nice natural alternatives used in Maine for Christmas in July are Maine blueberry vine twig wreaths. They are limited, harvested in late winter and early spring but they are beautiful. The vines are red and green and easy to add decorations to. Another popular wreath choice are sweetfern twig wreaths. Sweetfern has brown and burgundy tones and has herbal sweetfern scented pods on many of the twigs. Both of these twig wreaths are harvested in the wild blueberry barrens in Downeast Maine. Either the blueberry vine twig wreath or the sweetfern will last for years. Place a balsam fir pillow near your twig wreath or artificial wreath and get the wonderful scent of Christmas. But remember it's still July and the true joy of the Christmas season will be here before you know it.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

The Year Round Tradition of Wreaths

2008-10-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

The tradition of putting wreaths on doors and walls started in the 7th century B.C. when tree branches were used to crown the winners of the Olympic games. When exactly the wreath moved from the head to the door is unknown but the athletes probably hung their crowns on their wall and it took off from there.

One of the most popular holiday decorations is the Christmas wreath. Christmas wreaths are hung on doors, windows, fences, gates, from the stairway with garland or over the fireplace and used as centerpieces or advent wreaths on the table. Homes or offices don’t seem festive during the holiday season without this favorite decoration. Many people with second homes they don’t use during the holiday season still make sure there’s a wreath on the door to share the spirit of the season with their neighbors.

Many people make their own Christmas wreaths using decorations of meaning to them. A bird lover might decorate their wreath with small birds and different types of berries birds love like holly berries. A gardener may decorate their wreath with dried flowers like hydrangeas, fruits like apples or cranberries and blueberry or grape vines and twigs, all harvested from their own gardens. A lover of the sea might add seashells, clamshells, sea urchin shells and starfish to their wreath. These decorations are placed in the balsam fir and pine boughs they have cut, sometimes from their own property. These wreaths make great meaningful gifts to give to friends and family.

Fall wreaths are very popular. Autumn leaves can be used as a base. Twigs, vines and branches are used. Bright, burgundy burning bush branches are beautiful. Decorations are added throughout the fall like small pumpkins and ghosts for Halloween and turkeys and small cornucopia type dried fruits for Thanksgiving.

A spring wreath can add to Easter or Mother’s day celebrations. Freeze-dried flowers are typically used on spring wreaths. Pink roses, daffodils, pansies, miniature carnations, seeded eucalyptus, white larkspur and artemisa are popular choices.

Herb wreaths are wonderful additions to any kitchen or dining room. They are made with bouquets of different herbs. Herbs like Mexican or Greek oregano, sage, marjoram, bay laurel, lavender, red hot chilies, basil, bay leaves and thyme are used. There are numerous combinations of colors and textures that can be used and individual tastes dictate which herb wreath is chosen.

The many different types of wreaths are beautiful decorations for walls or doors, inside or outside your home or office. Hanging a different wreath for every season keeps both you and your guests aware that a new season has arrived.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Christmas Wreaths and Winter Solstice Celebrations

2008-10-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

Christmas wreaths have a seasonal connection with the pagan feasts of the winter solstice. Winter solstice happens on the shortest day of the year when, in the northern hemisphere, the earth is tilted farthest away from the sun. The sun has its lowest arc in the sky of the year on winter solstice.

Winter solstice ceremonies were performed by many cultures over time. Fear that the sun would never return were the motivation for these ceremonies. Ceremonies and celebrations gave hope. Many of these cultures were pagan sun worshipers. Some of the greatest architectures of ancient cultures were built to align with the solstices and equinoxes – temples, tombs, cairns and sacred observatories.

The earliest Christmas wreaths were made from holly during Roman times. Holly was looked on as having magical powers to the ancient Celts as it was one of the few plants to survive and look beautiful in the winter. The Celts picked holly boughs and put them in their houses to ward off the evils they believed lurked about in the darker months. Roman soldiers are believed to have brought the idea of decorating with holly back from Britain.

Holly was used by the Romans during their winter solstice celebrations and became sacred to Saturn, the sun god the Romans worshipped. The week long winter solstice celebrations of the Romans honored Saturn. Holly wreaths with their bright red berries were given as gifts. Holly was everywhere during these celebrations – on the public buildings, in the streets and shops, inside and outside of homes. The tradition of giving wreaths as gifts started here. Holly was thought to be lucky so the more you had the better off you were.

Early Christians in Rome would decorate their homes with holly to avoid persecution during the winter solstice festivals even though they didn’t worship Saturn. Over time the meaning behind the tradition of holly Christmas wreaths blurred and it eventually became a symbol of Christian faith. It was used to explain the life and death of Christ. The leaves represented the crown of thorns and the red berries represented Jesus’ blood.

The Roman Emperor Constantine gave official status to Christianity and forced all the pagans to be baptized into the Roman church. He needed to join the Christians and pagans and so pagan rituals and idols took on Christian names and pagan holidays like winter solstice festival became Christian holidays. December 25th was the birthday of the Gods to the pagans. Eventually many pagan symbols and traditions were melded into Christian symbols and traditions.

Today Christmas wreaths are a seasonal tradition that most people in the United States follow. You don’t go by many houses without a wreath on the door during the holidays. The meaning of the wreath is not so much about religion as it is about showing seasonal cheer and good will to all.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Why Real Christmas Wreaths Are Better for the Environment

2008-10-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

Conscientious consumers today concerned about the environment are taking the time to consider the consequences of their purchases. More and more people are making an effort to purchase products that use renewable resources. When it comes to buying a real, live Christmas wreath or an artificial wreath many people are choosing real.

Artificial wreaths are made from plastics and other petroleum based products. You’d have to be living on the moon to not know that petroleum is not a renewable resource. This alone should motivate people to not purchase artificial wreaths. Most artificial wreaths are made in China whose demand for petroleum is increasing by 25% a year as more Chinese can afford to have cars. Petroleum is used to make the plastic for artificial wreaths and more petroleum is used to transport them to the United States.

The biggest reason people buy artificial wreaths is because they last for many years. They have an expected life of nine or ten years. Most people don’t keep them that long and of course they end up at the landfill where they will stay for 5000 years or more.

Live Christmas wreaths have many environmental benefits. They’re recyclable if you take the wires and rings off. Many communities have recycling programs in place during the holiday season to pick up your Christmas trees and wreaths. They are chipped and made into mulch. However, Christmas wreaths are usually kept on doors far past the holiday season.

Real Christmas wreaths are a renewable resource. The trees are not cut down to harvest the branches used for Christmas wreaths. Around 12 to 18 inches of the branches are cut off or tipped as we say in Maine. These branches continue to grow year after year. Real Christmas wreaths are more of a renewable resource than even real Christmas trees. Even though Christmas tree farms typically plant up to three more trees for every one they cut down they are still cutting one down. Tipping trees is kind of like pruning your shrubbery. The branches grow back.

Live balsam fir trees used for Maine Christmas wreaths are the most fragrant of all the fir varieties. Approximately 85% of Maine is forests. Forests are very important in the fight against global warming. Trees take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and release oxygen. Burning fossil fuels to produce plastics adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere contributing to global warming.

Consumers concerned about the environment should choose a live Christmas wreath over an artificial wreath as it is recyclable, renewable and less of a contributor to global warming.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

China Makes Christmas for the World

2008-10-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

China is the world’s biggest manufacturer of Christmas products. China exports nearly 2 billion US dollars worth of Christmas products per year with more than half going to the United States. Most of it comes from Shenzhen in South China’s Guangdong province. There are over 3,000 factories in Shenzhen producing artificial Christmas trees. Christmas lights, ornaments and Christmas wreaths are also made here. These items are all made from plastic and metals.

Shenzhen is on the coast about an hours drive from Hong Kong. Before 1985, most of these products were mass produced in Taiwan and Hong Kong where the labor was cheap and ports were easily accessible. Taiwan and Hong Kong were not under the strict communist rule of China. By 1985, Taiwan and Hong Kong had developed into huge exporters and their local labor costs had increased. They started looking for a place nearby to ship materials to for assembly by cheaper workers. At the same time China was moving away from communism and setting up special economic zones. These zones welcomed foreign investment and setup industrial parks to attract them. Consequently, Hong Kong and Taiwanese companies started producing Christmas products in Shenzhen. The growth in exports from Shenzhen over the last 20 years has been incredible. About 80% of the factories are owned by Hong Kong companies and the other 20% by companies from Taiwan.

Worker conditions are poor in these factories. The workers toil 12 hours a day six to seven days a week for a monthly salary of $100 to $125. The floors are concrete and little money has been invested into proper work tables, work table height, etc. Many workers are available as they come in from the provinces where they farmed for much less.

Most of these artificial Christmas trees and Christmas wreaths are made from metals and plastics. The plastic material used predominantly is PVC – polyvinyl chloride. When PVC is manufactured it creates and disperses dioxin into the environment which is one of the most toxic man made chemicals. Dioxins enter the food chain through air or water and accumulate in fatty tissues of animals and humans where they can cause cancer, damage the immune system and impair children’s development. Also PVC is often stabilized with lead which is a carcinogen and also associated with neurological damage. Lead is used in PVC because it makes the plastic more flexible which is beneficial in the wires and cords. It is also used to stabilize the color. Over time the lead in the PVC product can disintegrate into lead laced dust.

Most people purchase artificial Christmas trees and wreaths because they make less mess, they’re cheaper over time and convenient. Consumers should be aware of the dangers of the materials used in these products and the environmental damage done when these materials are manufactured as well as the conditions of the workers producing them. Purchasing fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths is the environmentally friendly choice and it sure smells a lot better than plastic too.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Gathering Balsam Fir Tips for Maine Christmas Wreaths

2008-10-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

Balsam fir is used to make Christmas wreaths and Christmas centerpieces in Maine because it is plentiful and makes beautifully fragrant wreaths. The tips of the branches are used which is the end portion. The tips are cut in lengths from 12 to 20 inches. One tip is normally broken into two or three pieces, bunched together and then wired onto the wreath ring.

Gathering the balsam tips is called tipping. Tipping can’t start until late fall after the needles are set which is normally after the first few frosts. After the needles are set the balsam fir tree will stop growing, staying dormant, until spring. The pores in the needles are sealed by a waxy coating that covers the needle’s surface. If tips are gathered before setting the needles fall off in a short time and can’t be used. In Maine, balsam brush shouldn’t be collected until after November 1 with a minimum of three consecutive 20 degree or colder nights.

To gather tips on privately owned forests the tippers have to get permission. Large corporations issue permits with fees for their property. Most wreath producers are very particular about the quality of the tips they purchase. It’s hard to produce a top quality wreath if you don’t have top quality balsam tips to start with. The tips should have needles on all sides of the tip’s stems appearing rounded. They should be a dark green color. They also should be free of any sign of insect damage.

The best quality tips come from the middle of the tree. The branches on the top of the trees oftentimes have long stems and the bottom branches usually only have needles on one side. Naturally, wreath producers purchasing tips are looking for the deep green, rounded tips that come from the middle of the trees.

After cutting the tips are stacked on a stick in alternate directions until the stick weighs between 50 and 75 lbs. with twine attached to the ends for carrying. They are then taken to be sold to the local wreath producers. The tips are sold according to their weight.

Global warming may have an adverse effect on the Christmas wreath industry in Maine if it continues as predicted. As the fall gets warmer and warmer it’s possible that we won’t have the needed frost to set the needles on the balsam fir trees until it’s too late for the Christmas season.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Maine Christmas Wreath Industry

2008-10-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

Maine is the largest producer of balsam fir Christmas wreaths in the United States. Millions of wreaths are shipped out every year. Maine’s forests cover over 85% of the state. A lot of this forest is available for harvesting of balsam fir tips which is a sustainable harvest. Only 12 to 20 inches of the ends of the branches are cut and they grow back year to year.

A wreath is made by attaching bunches of the balsam fir tips to a metal ring. The bunches of tips are wired to the ring. The common sizes for the wreath rings are 8,10, 12, 14 and 16 inch. The outside diameter of the wreath is determined by the size of the ring. For example, at Acadia Wreath Company, our 24” Christmas wreath is built on a 12 inch ring and our 30” Christmas wreath is built on a 16” ring. The amount of balsam tips needed for a wreath depends again on the size of the ring. We make very full, double-faced wreaths except for our vehicle wreath.

Our 24” wreath weighs about 6 lbs and our 30” wreath weighs about 8 lbs. A double-faced wreath has the balsam tips attached to both sides of the wreath ring making a much fuller wreath. We have a customer who has us decorate both sides of her wreath because she hangs it on a glass door where it can be seen from each side of the door. This wouldn’t work with a single-faced wreath with the balsam tips attached to only one side. Naturally, the single-faced wreaths are cheaper to make in materials and labor. Most of the major big box retailers sell single-faced wreaths.

The wreath industry in Maine includes tippers, wreath makers, wholesalers and retailers. Tippers (people who gather the tips) sell to a local wreath business or wreath maker. There is a large cottage industry of wreath makers who make wreaths at home and sell them, undecorated for the most part, to local wholesalers or retailers or directly to consumers.

The balsam fir tips are not only used to make Christmas wreaths. Christmas centerpieces, kissing balls, swags and garland are also made. Garland is not a huge part of the industry because wreath makers can make a lot more money making wreaths and so garland is harder to find. Demand for balsam fir Christmas products is increasing every year. It is the most fragrant of all the firs with the smell most associated with Christmas. Also, it’s natural and sustainable and artificial, plastic wreaths are viewed as tacky and they sure don’t smell like Christmas.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Christmas Wreaths for the Birds

2008-10-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

Christmas wreaths rival Christmas trees as the two most popular Christmas decorations. Most wreaths are hung as a holiday greeting and welcome to neighbors and friends on the main entry door of the house appearing soon after the pumpkins and corn stalks of the fall harvest season have been removed. Decorations for Christmas wreaths vary from the traditional – pinecones, red berries, deer moss to unique decorations like small handmade crafts made from fabric.

Bird lovers like to decorate their Christmas wreaths with their favorite small stuffed birds surrounded with holly berries that birds love. Christmas wreaths can be made just for the birds or you can recycle your Christmas wreath after the season and provide the birds with needed food during the cold winter months.

If you take your wreath down in January or February you can transform it into a wreath just for the birds. Roll the pinecones first in peanut butter and then in birdseed. Wrap some floral wire around the base of each pinecone and attach it to the wreath. If you have purchased a Christmas wreath from a company like, Acadia Wreath Company, the pinecones already have picks on the base to attach to the wreath.

String a few popped kernels of popcorn together then roll them in peanut butter and birdseed, a treat loved by blue jays. Take a large needle and string clusters of three or four whole, raw, unsalted peanuts in the shell and tie to the wreath. Make sure you use a natural thread like raffia. You can do the same thing with bundles of fresh grapes. Slice apples, pears or oranges and hang them on the wreath. It’s best to leave the strings of peanuts, or fruit short, a couple inches long at most, so they are easy for the birds to handle.

Transforming your Christmas wreath into a wonderful source of food for your birds also provides you with the wonderful pastime of watching the birds as you sit and enjoy your morning coffee. It’s a fun activity to share with the children in your life. Teach them the value of recycling, the wonders of nature right outside the door and the joy of watching birds.

Once the birds have eaten everything on the Christmas wreath you can always put more goodies on or if it’s a balsam fir Christmas wreath, you can recycle the balsam needles. Make a fragrant draft stopper by sewing the balsam needles into a long muslin bag or make a balsam sachet.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

How Popular Christmas Carols Came About

2008-10-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

Christmas Carols are sung mostly during the holiday season but most of us find ourselves humming them periodically during the course of the year. They come out of our mouths mindlessly and we rarely stop and wonder where they came from. Most revolve around the birth of Christ but the variety, history and popularity of Christmas carols is fascinating. Two of the most popular songs of all time are Christmas carols.

Silent Night – was a poem written by an Austrian priest, Joseph Mohr, in 1816. It became a Christmas carol on Christmas Eve in 1818 in Obendorf, Austria, a village near Salzburg, when Joseph decided he needed a carol for Christmas Eve services. He gave the poem to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber who wrote the melody in a few hours. It was composed for the guitar which was Joseph’s favorite instrument. It is the most famous Christmas carol of all time.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman - was first published in William Sandy’s “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern” in 1833. The author is unknown. Most people sing and interpret this song as God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman thinking it means for merry fellows to rest. The rest wasn’t intended to mean lie down but to keep as you are, to stay merry. Rest ye merry means to remain peacefully content and so the true meaning of the song is hoping God will bestow this contentment on the gentleman. Even Dickens misinterpreted the comma as God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman when he refers to it in “A Christmas Carol”. Scrooge didn’t like the carol being sung at his keyhole speaking of merriment. Bah Humbug.

What Child is This - with words written to the melody Greensleeves. It originated in Elizabethan times and is mentioned by Shakespeare in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” when it is played as traitors are hanged.

Jingle Bells was written by James Pierpont in 1857 for a Thanksgiving program at his church in Boston. Everyone liked it and so it was repeated at Christmas and it has been a Christmas song ever since.

O Little Town of Bethlehem was composed by Lewis Redner with words by Bishop Phillips Brooks in 1868. The Bishop had been to the Holy Land a few years earlier and was inspired by looking down on Bethlehem from the hills of Palestine at night.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – A twentieth century carol created for Montgomery Ward by Robert May. Montgomery Ward asked May to write a Christmas story to be given out to shoppers during the holidays. May was inspired by the tale of the Ugly Duckling and his own sad youth as a small, shy child and created the idea of the reindeer outcast shunned by the other reindeers because of his bright red nose. He wrote the story in rhyming couplets. It almost didn’t get published because his boss at Montgomery Ward thought that the public would view the red nose as caused by drinking. May eventually acquired the copyright for the song and it was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949. It is the second best selling song of all time with White Christmas being the first. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is also a popular Christmas ornament with a festive Christmas wreath hung around his neck.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Celebrating Advent with Nativity Scenes

2008-10-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

Nativity scenes are very popular additions to any household in the advent season. They depict the birth of Jesus. Christian nativity scenes normally show Jesus in a manger, Joseph and Mary in a barn, stable, or shed. A mule and an ox usually accompany them. The scene also includes the three wise men, shepherds, angels and the Star of Bethlehem. The traditional scenes that show the shepherds and three wise men together are not true to the story as told in the bible. In the bible the three wise men arrived after the birth of Jesus.

Nativity scenes are displayed in homes, churches and village greens throughout the advent season. Large nativity scenes with live animals and people are created for advent nativity celebrations. Nativity scenes are called creche’s in European countries.

St. Francis of Assisi is credited with making the nativity tradition popular. In a Christmas Eve service in 1223, he staged a simple reenactment of Jesus’ birth, focusing on the manger. He made the nativity come alive. The idea caught on and manger scenes became more elaborate and took on more cultural characteristics from Italy to France, Germany and Spain. Today, almost every culture in the world has their unique representation of the nativity scene.

A typical French Noel crèche consists of figures called Santons. These figures originally made of wood, wax or clay come in their work clothes to visit the Holy Family. They bring the Christ Child presents they have made or grown, hunted or sold. They perform or offer simple gestures of thoughtfulness. They were a way of bringing religion home after the French Revolution. Churches were being sacked and closed. Christmas midnight mass and outdoor nativity scenes were banned. This forced people to set up crèches in their own homes. The displays became more elaborate over time with the whole Provencal village being recreated. Typical characters of day-to-day life: the fishmonger, baker, flower peddler, vegetable merchant, the mayor, priest, nun, midwife with her cradle, the fisherman with his nets and the shepherd with his cape and walking cane are depicted. The scenery is often developed to include trees, rivers, hills, the entire whole village scene with the focal point being the nativity crèche.

Advent festivities in Italy include bagpipers or zampognari who play old hill tunes in anticipation of the coming of Jesus. These bagpipers are popular in Italian nativity scenes. The Italians traditionally view the many elaborate manger scenes on Christmas Eve. Artisans create detailed landscapes around the manger scenes: small trees, lakes, rivers, grottoes, hanging angels and local heroes. The most elaborate and beautiful nativity scenes are set up in Churches.
Nativity scenes are common in Christian homes today, often displayed on mantles or underneath the Christmas tree. Advent wreaths, advent calendars and Christmas wreaths are also popular for advent celebrations.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

The Increasing Popularity of Advent Wreaths

2008-10-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

Advent wreaths are a popular choice for Christian families as they prepare for the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. Candles are lit and prayers are said on the four Sundays of Advent that precede Christmas day. Families welcome the opportunity to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas and spirituality to their children to offset the overwhelming commercialism of the holiday season and to prepare for the coming of Christ on Christmas day.

The custom of celebrating advent with the advent wreath is said to have originated in Eastern Germany as a Lutheran custom. The advent wreath was made with evergreens. Evergreens live through the cold, winter months and signify strength and are always alive. The roundness of the wreath with no beginning or end signifies the circle of life. It also symbolizes God who is thought to be eternal with no beginning or end.

Advent is the four weeks before Christmas. Advent wreaths are traditionally used to celebrate on each of the four Sundays of Advent. Prayers and readings are said typically before Sunday dinner, or prior to every dinner during advent. A new candle is lit on each Sunday, one candle on the first Sunday, two on the second, three on the third and all four candles are lit on the fourth Sunday. Catholics and Protestants use purple candles for the first, second and fourth candles. The third candle is rose and used on the third Sunday as this day, called Gaudete Sunday in the Roman Catholic faith, is considered more joyous in anticipation of the birth of Christ.

A fifth white, larger candle is often used on Christmas day. This candle is placed in the center of the advent wreath and is called the Christ candle. Many people use four white candles after Christmas day until the feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 6th which symbolizes the day the Magi or three wise men brought the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus.

Many families make their own advent wreaths. Craft stores sell wreath rings and wire that can be uses to attach evergreens to the ring as well as the ribbon and candles needed. These same rings can be used to make Christmas wreaths. Christian stores sell many types of advent wreaths from brass plated wreaths to wreaths with artificial greenery. Fresh, fragrant balsam fir advent wreaths can be purchased online for your own use or as a meaningful gift for your loved ones. Keep in mind if purchasing an advent wreath for yourself or others to make sure it arrives prior to the first Sunday of advent which is December 2nd in 2007.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.