Are door wreaths religious?

[Anonymous]

A Christian wreath, which is part of a Christian ceremony, in which you light candles to observe the different phases of advent, often say a prayer or blessing, and talk about the meaning of advent and the birth of Jesus on your own life (if you grew up Catholic, you know when you light the white candle versus the purple ones):



A regular wreath, which has no religious connotation whatsoever, and could mean "I like evergreens" or "I like holiday decor" or "I love Jesus" or "My kid's school sells these to raise money" and in no way indicate that you have any particular belief system whatsoever:



If you think these are the same, you are incorrect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not a christian family, esp averse of christmas and the culture around it. But in our new home I got a wreath for the door, from trader joes so I can compost it later. DH thinks its too christmasy. Is it?

OP, just curious. Are you of another faith besides Christianity?

Hi, we are practicing Sunni Muslims

Surprise - that you’re especially averse to Christmas…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Growing up In my black southern Christian family, a simple evergreen wreath on the door symbolized a death in the family. You could pass a house in august and if there is a wreath on the door, the first thought would be “someone there passed away”. Even the funeral Homes would deliver a wreath to the family home as a part of their services.

I looked this up years later and read that the door wreath for Xmas was faith-based and symbolized Christ’s death. There are thoughts too that attempt to associate the tree and gifts and decorations to Christ too.

Interesting. In Europe, people don’t hang wreaths on their front door for Christmas. At least they didn’t in the past, maybe the US inspired them to do this recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Christian wreath, which is part of a Christian ceremony, in which you light candles to observe the different phases of advent, often say a prayer or blessing, and talk about the meaning of advent and the birth of Jesus on your own life (if you grew up Catholic, you know when you light the white candle versus the purple ones):



A regular wreath, which has no religious connotation whatsoever, and could mean "I like evergreens" or "I like holiday decor" or "I love Jesus" or "My kid's school sells these to raise money" and in no way indicate that you have any particular belief system whatsoever:



If you think these are the same, you are incorrect.

Hi, OP here, thanks so much for the explanation, I never seen the one above, thats very helpful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol “averse to Christmas?”

you sound judgmental AF.

This is so mean. I grew up in a religious Jewish home and my mother was extremely "averse to Christmas" and drew offense at anything related to Christmas. I was not because she was judgmental. It was because she was forced to practice Christian customs as a child even though she was Jewish. This includes saying daily prayers in public school. There is a long-standing tradition of expecting non-Christians to celebrate the birth of someone else's Lord and Savior and it's offensive. A Christmas-style wreath would never have been displayed in her home.

Well, who forced her to do that? Her family? Don’t lay that on the rest of us. And as we all know, schools don’t do that anymore. It’s the 21st century last I checked.

To be “averse to Christianity” is bigoted.

I'm not that poster, but I am also Jewish and grew up in a Christian place and was forced to participate. It was just the norm in the rural area where I was. The school had manger scenes and said prayers at assemblies, and there was required "religious instruction" after school, that actually started before school ended. The school even paid for a bus to take the kids home afterward. You could skip it, technically, but the bullying would have been bad. But unlike the PP, this didn't make me "Christmas averse." On the contrary, Christmas feels like "my" holiday. Our family celebrated all of the usual holidays that apparently some people consider Christian, because that was what you did in our town, and I enjoyed it. I still love Christmas and even Easter. I understood that we were not Christian, but we made the distinction between the religious part of the holiday and the fun parts. In fact, even the priest in town made the distinction, often admonishing people for doing gifts, candy, even Christmas trees, which he said were not really true Christian traditions and had nothing to do with Christ. So it makes me angry to see someone tell me that this is not my holiday because I'm not a Christian - I can assure that it is mine too. I can celebrate it just fine without doing or thinking anything especially Christian. So while I understand the PP's aversion, it also ticks me off that he or she seems to be criticizing my own participation.

I'm from the rural midwest. It's a heavily German area and, until WW1, my grandmother's schooling was taught in German. Christmas trees were not allowed in the Lutheran church until the 1970s because they were seen as pagan. Trees were placed outside the church but couldn't be brought into any of the buildings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not a christian family, esp averse of christmas and the culture around it. But in our new home I got a wreath for the door, from trader joes so I can compost it later. DH thinks its too christmasy. Is it?

OP, just curious. Are you of another faith besides Christianity?

Hi, we are practicing Sunni Muslims

In that case, it sounds like you are trying to avoid anything Christian in appearance, and might want to avoid the wreath at Christmas time. Any other time of year it's just decor, but at Christmas time it definitely will look like a Christmas thing, especially on a door.

Puh-lease. We are a non-Christian household and always have a wreath up this time of year. There's no way anyone could mistake it for a "Christmas" since there is no Christian symbols on it. We also have a wreath up at Halloween (we are not pagans), Valentine's Day, spring equinox, Memorial Day and 4th of July.

Sometimes a decoration is just a decoration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol “averse to Christmas?”

you sound judgmental AF.

This is so mean. I grew up in a religious Jewish home and my mother was extremely "averse to Christmas" and drew offense at anything related to Christmas. I was not because she was judgmental. It was because she was forced to practice Christian customs as a child even though she was Jewish. This includes saying daily prayers in public school. There is a long-standing tradition of expecting non-Christians to celebrate the birth of someone else's Lord and Savior and it's offensive. A Christmas-style wreath would never have been displayed in her home.

Well, who forced her to do that? Her family? Don’t lay that on the rest of us. And as we all know, schools don’t do that anymore. It’s the 21st century last I checked.

To be “averse to Christianity” is bigoted.

I'm not that poster, but I am also Jewish and grew up in a Christian place and was forced to participate. It was just the norm in the rural area where I was. The school had manger scenes and said prayers at assemblies, and there was required "religious instruction" after school, that actually started before school ended. The school even paid for a bus to take the kids home afterward. You could skip it, technically, but the bullying would have been bad. But unlike the PP, this didn't make me "Christmas averse." On the contrary, Christmas feels like "my" holiday. Our family celebrated all of the usual holidays that apparently some people consider Christian, because that was what you did in our town, and I enjoyed it. I still love Christmas and even Easter. I understood that we were not Christian, but we made the distinction between the religious part of the holiday and the fun parts. In fact, even the priest in town made the distinction, often admonishing people for doing gifts, candy, even Christmas trees, which he said were not really true Christian traditions and had nothing to do with Christ. So it makes me angry to see someone tell me that this is not my holiday because I'm not a Christian - I can assure that it is mine too. I can celebrate it just fine without doing or thinking anything especially Christian. So while I understand the PP's aversion, it also ticks me off that he or she seems to be criticizing my own participation.

I'm from the rural midwest. It's a heavily German area and, until WW1, my grandmother's schooling was taught in German. Christmas trees were not allowed in the Lutheran church until the 1970s because they were seen as pagan. Trees were placed outside the church but couldn't be brought into any of the buildings.

I'm from Massachusetts and come from Puritan stock. In colonial times celebrating Christmas was illegal in New England. Washington was able to surprise the British at Trenton on December 26, 1777 because most of the British troops were actually Hessians who celebrated Christmas, while is own men did not. My mom wouldn't let us have a Christmas tree until Christmas Eve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not a christian family, esp averse of christmas and the culture around it. But in our new home I got a wreath for the door, from trader joes so I can compost it later. DH thinks its too christmasy. Is it?

OP, just curious. Are you of another faith besides Christianity?

Hi, we are practicing Sunni Muslims

In that case, it sounds like you are trying to avoid anything Christian in appearance, and might want to avoid the wreath at Christmas time. Any other time of year it's just decor, but at Christmas time it definitely will look like a Christmas thing, especially on a door.

Puh-lease. We are a non-Christian household and always have a wreath up this time of year. There's no way anyone could mistake it for a "Christmas" since there is no Christian symbols on it. We also have a wreath up at Halloween (we are not pagans), Valentine's Day, spring equinox, Memorial Day and 4th of July.

Sometimes a decoration is just a decoration.

Yes, if nothing else, this thread has revealed how many people are deeply uneducated on this subject and don't understand the religious significance (or lack of significance) of most of these things. So the upshot is: do what you want and what makes sense for you and your family and if people are offended or misunderstand, that's on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see this time of year as a part of American culture. Yes, it’s celebrated in other countries but even other countries celebrate differently than most Americans.

American culture Christmas to me is:
Santa
Presents on Christmas morning
Milk and cookies on Christmas Eve
Presents and obnoxious amounts of shopping
Lights and decor
Holiday themed events like the Ice show at the Gaylord or Zoolights.
Time to unwind because work life, sports life, school life slows down.
Cookies of all varieties
Ugly sweater contests
Secret Santa parties
Cookie exchanges

These are all very much part of American culture irrespective of religion. Not everyone does all of them but most of these things are done by most people and they have nothing to do with Jesus.

These things are not done by most Jews or Muslims. This is the majority privilege I mentioned earlier, where people airily assert that these are just American traditions, not Christian ones. Tons of these traditions came over from Europe--they are culturally Christian traditions, even if not overtly religious.

I wrote the list. I’m not Christian. No one has to do the above because not everyone has to engage in American culture. I don’t like football or apple pie.

We can pick and choose what parts of a country’s culture we want to partake in.

You’re saying these traditions hail from Europe. So is it the location of origin that’s upsetting? We know these ‘Christian’ traditions were not originally Christian. Yoga is from India. Most of what we own is from China. Cinco de Mayo is from Latin America. Tai Chi is from Japan (I think). We pick and choose all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see this time of year as a part of American culture. Yes, it’s celebrated in other countries but even other countries celebrate differently than most Americans.

American culture Christmas to me is:
Santa
Presents on Christmas morning
Milk and cookies on Christmas Eve
Presents and obnoxious amounts of shopping
Lights and decor
Holiday themed events like the Ice show at the Gaylord or Zoolights.
Time to unwind because work life, sports life, school life slows down.
Cookies of all varieties
Ugly sweater contests
Secret Santa parties
Cookie exchanges

These are all very much part of American culture irrespective of religion. Not everyone does all of them but most of these things are done by most people and they have nothing to do with Jesus.

These things are not done by most Jews or Muslims. This is the majority privilege I mentioned earlier, where people airily assert that these are just American traditions, not Christian ones. Tons of these traditions came over from Europe--they are culturally Christian traditions, even if not overtly religious.

I wrote the list. I’m not Christian. No one has to do the above because not everyone has to engage in American culture. I don’t like football or apple pie.

We can pick and choose what parts of a country’s culture we want to partake in.

You’re saying these traditions hail from Europe. So is it the location of origin that’s upsetting? We know these ‘Christian’ traditions were not originally Christian. Yoga is from India. Most of what we own is from China. Cinco de Mayo is from Latin America. Tai Chi is from Japan (I think). We pick and choose all the time.

I don't think your comparisons are apt. Christmas is an all-consuming event for a couple months of the year, it is absolutely unavoidable, and it is attached to a religion which claims that there is a "war on Christmas" by people who try to point out that not everyone celebrates it. No one is shoving Cinco de Mayo, yoga, or tai chi (!) down anyone's throat for months at a time, and then pouting when people point out that not everyone participates in those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol “averse to Christmas?”

you sound judgmental AF.

This is so mean. I grew up in a religious Jewish home and my mother was extremely "averse to Christmas" and drew offense at anything related to Christmas. I was not because she was judgmental. It was because she was forced to practice Christian customs as a child even though she was Jewish. This includes saying daily prayers in public school. There is a long-standing tradition of expecting non-Christians to celebrate the birth of someone else's Lord and Savior and it's offensive. A Christmas-style wreath would never have been displayed in her home.

Well, who forced her to do that? Her family? Don’t lay that on the rest of us. And as we all know, schools don’t do that anymore. It’s the 21st century last I checked.

To be “averse to Christianity” is bigoted.

I'm not that poster, but I am also Jewish and grew up in a Christian place and was forced to participate. It was just the norm in the rural area where I was. The school had manger scenes and said prayers at assemblies, and there was required "religious instruction" after school, that actually started before school ended. The school even paid for a bus to take the kids home afterward. You could skip it, technically, but the bullying would have been bad. But unlike the PP, this didn't make me "Christmas averse." On the contrary, Christmas feels like "my" holiday. Our family celebrated all of the usual holidays that apparently some people consider Christian, because that was what you did in our town, and I enjoyed it. I still love Christmas and even Easter. I understood that we were not Christian, but we made the distinction between the religious part of the holiday and the fun parts. In fact, even the priest in town made the distinction, often admonishing people for doing gifts, candy, even Christmas trees, which he said were not really true Christian traditions and had nothing to do with Christ. So it makes me angry to see someone tell me that this is not my holiday because I'm not a Christian - I can assure that it is mine too. I can celebrate it just fine without doing or thinking anything especially Christian. So while I understand the PP's aversion, it also ticks me off that he or she seems to be criticizing my own participation.

I'm from the rural midwest. It's a heavily German area and, until WW1, my grandmother's schooling was taught in German. Christmas trees were not allowed in the Lutheran church until the 1970s because they were seen as pagan. Trees were placed outside the church but couldn't be brought into any of the buildings.

Your one Lutheran church in the Midwest doesn’t matter. Martin Luther himself repurposed the pagan tradition of lit up trees for Lutheranism. My family has been Lutheran for centuries and always had trees.

[Anonymous]

Meh! I basically have the religious symbols of my religion on Christmas ornaments and decor. Why not?

Do whatever you want.

[Anonymous]

Mine isn't.

[Anonymous]

Make an Indian Rangoli. A very Happy Merry Christmas to all!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has pagan roots, not Christian.

This.

Decorating with greenery is associated with harvest and winter festivals.