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A wreath of flowers - an old Slavic tradition

Flowers are not difficult to find along any path.

And yet, not everyone is given a wreath to weave.

T. Hippel (German poet of the 18th century)

Compositions in the form of a flower wreath are very popular in the West, but they are less often used in our country. If we recall the Russian tradition of weaving wreaths of wildflowers, which has survived to this day, then these floristic works will not seem alien.

In the book by G.Ya. Fedotov "Patterns of herbs" we read:

"Wreath" is a common Slavic word derived from the Old Slavic in... In a word, a wreath is something that twists from branches and flowers. The same root has the word "crown", which has many different meanings. The crown is called the royal crown and the decoration placed on the heads of the bride and groom during the wedding.

The lights around the heads of the saints on the icons are, in fact, unrecognizably transformed pagan symbols.

... In many countries, there was a belief that wreaths woven from the so-called Kupala grasses can protect a person from all kinds of diseases, prevent a fire, protect a house from lightning and the destruction of a storm, ... that evil spirits are afraid of them in panic.

… In European countries, there was once a custom to decorate fruit trees with Kupala wreaths. It was believed that a wreath of Kupala grasses transfers its life-giving power to trees, on which large and juicy fruits will grow by the fall. "

In fact, the Kupala wreaths were the procurement of medicinal raw materials shrouded in mystery. In France, they were called Saint-Jean herbs, and their list included St. John's wort, white wormwood, ivy, yarrow, verbena, hare cabbage, caraway seeds, black elderberry flowers, dill, yellow sweet clover, dodder, chamomile, plantain, linden blossom, fern, and lavender.

In Bulgaria, they liked to weave wreaths from feather grass growing in mountain meadows, in Germany - from mariannik, shaker and clover. And here - from dandelions, cornflowers, daisies and cornflowers, timothy spikelets and willow-tea inflorescences.

In addition, the wreath was everywhere a symbol of victory and celebration (remember the laurel or oak wreaths placed on the heads of the winners).

The wonderful symbolism of the Slavic wreath today is embodied in a rich palette of various colors, preserving an ancient tradition that was widely spread in architectural, applied, and, of course, floristic art.

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