Dear Wreath Wranglers:

So many of our Christmas traditions have two things in common: 1) They’re not as ancient as we think; and 2) They find their roots in Germany. Consider, by example, the humble Advent wreath. Johann Hinrich Wichern was one of eight children born to a poor family in Hamburg, Germany. Involved in the local church, he became a Protestant Sunday School teacher, holding classes that were extremely popular for their use of inventive symbols to convey the Gospel. At the age of 25, Wichern, concerned with the welfare