I'm Reclaiming the Pagan Wreath from Christians.

One thing I do to help remind me that life will return despite the freezing depths of winter is by bringing a wreath into the house. It is a nice splash of green life amidst all the lifeless snow and the scent of pine is so relaxing and invigorating. I choose wreaths in part because Christmas trees have become synonymous with Christianity. And while wreaths are still used by Christians they seem less polluted by Christian tradition. I want to reclaim the wreath for Pagans. I know that part of these Christian Christmas traditions were stolen from the Pagans to assimilate Pagans into Christianity but that makes me wonder even more about the supposed "peaceful message" of Christianity. They sure don't like it when someone mocks their traditions but it's o.k. to maintain the Christian mockery of Pagan, yule-tide celebrations by stealing our symbols and supplanting the Pagan meanings behind them with Christian ones?

No, I'm done with sharing. So I'm reclaiming the wreath, the "Christmas tree" and all the other Pagan traditions that Christians enjoy but probably have no idea of their origin. Imagine the outrage they'd feel if we took the cross and said it was now a symbol of Pagan resistance to Christianity as carried out by the Romans. They'd be furious and rightly so but they don't give a shit about stealing someone else's traditions. You'd think they'd want to purge those elements from their supposed, "pure" religion like some have tried to do recently with Halloween celebrations, which stem from the fall, Pagan celebration of Samhain. What these Christians don't realize is that they'd not have much left to celebrate the season except the cross and the manger. They love to have it both ways -- They don't want anyone to call this holiday season anything but Christmas but they'll keep using Pagan oriented traditions? Then again, since when did many (not all but many) Christians worry about double standards?

Plus the circle represents the cycle of life, death and rebirth -- rebirth being a the key to emotional survival in the winter months. The empty hole in the center of a wreath reminds me of all that is yet to be known such as the great mysteries of our existence. It is also a symbol of our homes (the center space in the wreath) being surrounded and protected from the elements by nature such as big pine trees that withstand and blowing winter winds. I have considered ordering a wreath made specifically for Pagans but we'll probably just get one at the grocery store because of a tight budget. We, like a lot of people don't have a lot of money to spend this time of year.

~Be well~