The Origins of the Christmas Garland

Garlands are particularly popular Christmas decorations, but they have been used for various purposes among many different cultures since antiquity. It seems that the people of the ancient world used garlands primarily as part of religious rituals, or as personal accessories.

In Egypt, garlands were often used after the process of mummification. These floral garlands were placed over the dead and while this might seem very far removed from our symbolically joyous Christmas garlands of today, the ancient Egyptians still recognized their garlands as celebratory. It was believed that the dead were entering into an afterlife and this was, indeed, to be celebrated. The garlands made of flowers were symbolic of the beauty of this ritual and of what was to come.

Like the ancient Egyptians, ancient Greeks and Romans used garlands in some of their religious practices as they often placed them in temples. But, it was the Greeks and Romans who began to popularize using garlands as decorations for the home. Besides temples, other buildings such as government buildings and private homes were often decorated using garlands arranged in different forms depending on the occasion. This was also the first example of flower garlands being worn.

Moving over to Europe, garlands in the Middle Ages were seen more and more as both adornments for the body and used in religious rituals. Garland circlets were often worn at special events like festivals and weddings. In addition, they often were used to decorate religious statues or alters. During religious festivals, long garlands were sometimes used in dances. What all of these garlands have in common is that they were typically made from flowers and berries, as opposed to other types of foliage or fabric that we are more accustomed to today.

During the Renaissance, art was heavily influenced by both Christianity and by the mythology and culture of the ancient world. What we find are many works of art that include various types of garlands. Just like today, the culture of the European Renaissance was heavily influenced by the art and vice versa. While we might sometimes think of garland crowns and adornments as characteristic of the Renaissance, it was actually the fascination with antiquity during that period that gave rise to the Renaissance era popularity in garlands.

Today, Christmas garlands come in a few different shapes, but we can pretty easily recognise them regardless. Some are quite reminiscent of the garlands of the classical period and are made of foliage and Christmas berries. Others, like our tartan garlands, have expanded on the use of materials, though they are just as merry and traditional as those with more historical designs. These garlands are used to celebrate and symbolize Christ's birth, which makes them akin to earlier garlands that were used primarily for religious celebrations.

Our tartan garlands are made to order and handcrafted in Scotland! They can, of course, be used for decoration during Christmas time, but they are also the perfect home accessory to show off your Scottish pride all year round. Our garland comes in over 500 tartans, which means that you can show off a different tartan for every season!

If you're hoping to add a bit of tartan to your more traditional foliage garland, look no further than our guide to creating luxury bows with our tartan ribbon -- also perfect for gift wrapping as well!