A garland is usually a decorative type of wreath or a braided cord, which can be used year round or just at festive occasions. The word ?garland? actually comes from the French word "guirlande" which means ?a wreath of flowers?. These braided cords can be small and hung around a person's neck, or placed on the head, or larger and hung on inanimate objects. Originally garlands and wreaths were made of flowers and/or leaves. These were worn on people's heads, around their necks and draped around buildings. Today they can be artificial or real; some of the more popular types are made of flowers, leaves, tinsel, pine or a combination of any of these. Many people prefer the artificial as it will last longer and can be used many times. And today it is very hard to tell the difference between real and artificial garland without a close examination.

Uses for Garland:

Garland can generally be used at anytime of the year to add an extra touch to make the home look nicer or it can be used just for special occasions to really help make things stand out, such as at:

? Weddings

? Birthdays

? Receptions

? Thanksgiving

? Christmas

? Parties

At these occasions it can be hung around the party room, or for outdoor venues it can be placed on or around the tables, gazebo or the buildings itself. It helps to give the occasion a look of nature, symbolizing a rebirth, a new beginning, that it is growing and to show that hope springs eternal. Garland has been used around the world for thousands of years at festivals and special occasions for this same symbolic purpose.

Garland at Weddings:

This is where the type of decoration is determined by the type of party or event. Ribbons or bows are a common way of decorating the garland. For a birthday a more colorful ribbon would be used and of course for Christmas most use a red ribbon or red bows. For weddings, people often use ribbons or bows that are white, or ivory, or the color of the brides-maids dresses. A colored ribbon could be wrapped around the garland before it is hung or bows could be hung on the garland at certain locations. There are even special hangers that you can use when hanging garland. These will fit over most doors or banisters to allow you to hang the garland pretty much anyway that you would like to and keep it from sliding around. Some weddings might even use the garland to form a circle on the ground around the bride and groom as a representation of their never ending love or love as one eternal round. With garland being like a braid it makes picking it up to store it away very easy, as it can be coiled up like an electric cord and placed in a plastic bag and or in a box to be stored away until it's next use.