About Holly Wreaths

Many people adorn their front doors with holly wreaths during the holiday season. You will see these wreaths in department stores, on church doors and welcoming you into government buildings. Where are some good places to acquire holly wreaths? More importantly, how do you keep them looking fresh, especially if you live in a warmer climate or have an usually warm holiday season? A holly wreath adds a nice touch to holiday decorations, and many of them have berries and bows to give them a splash of color.

Finding Holly Wreaths

Many people want to buy holly wreaths for the holiday season. You can find often find them in craft stores or in home and garden stores where plants and flowers are sold in the spring. You can also order them from online stores, such as Christmas Holly (see Resources below). Many churches and non-profit groups will sell holly wreaths during December to use for fundraisers for their programs. When you order a holly wreath from one of these groups, it is often delivered to your home.

The History of Holly

Holly has been used for thousands of years as a decoration. Many Celtic people of northern Europe decorated their homes with holly wreaths during the winter solstice, which they also called Yule. The ancient Romans thought holly did more than just look nice as a decoration. They believed that a holly wreath could ward off a lightning strike and withcraft. They would send their friends boughs of holly during a time called the festival of Saturnalia, which was also celebrated during the winter solstice.
The early Christian Church kept many of these traditions from the Romans and Celtics when they wanted to celebrate Jesus's birth. Many of the early Christians thought the prickly holly leaves symbolized the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was hung on the cross during Passover. They thought of the blood-red berries as representing the blood of Christ.

Taking Care of Your Holly Wreath

When you get your holly wreath, you should open the package or box immediately if it was shipped to you. The holly wreath needs air. If at all possible, prevent your holly wreath from freezing in outdoor temperatures. If you live in a warm or dry climate, you can mist the holly wreath with a spray bottle to keep it moist. You can also buy a product, like a powder you put in water for fresh flowers, and mix it with the water you are spraying on the holly wreath to keep it fresh longer. When you are handling your holly wreath, you may want to wear gloves because the holly leaf spines are sharp.

Interesting Facts About Holly

There are nearly 400 species of holly. This is why your holly wreath may look completely different than your neighbors, or you may see different types of wreaths in craft stores or online. If you live in Argentina, you might not just use holly to decorate your home during the holidays. You might also use it to make matte, a popular tea drink. Research has also shown that holly may contain chemicals that people can use to fight skin cancer.

The Northwest Holly Growers Association

You can find information on where to buy holly wreaths through the Northwest Holly Growers Association. This is a non-profit organization that helps its members share information and promote holly sales and growth. On their website, you can find several of their members who sell holly wreaths. You can also find ways to care for holly wreaths and holly in general. See Resources below.

Resources

• Order a Christmas holly wreath
• Northwest Holly Growers Association website