ON WREATHS & FEASTS,
Considering ritual, connection & all things indulgent..
December falls over us like an unforecast few inches of snow and we find ourselves knees deep in a season of abundance and extravagance. Drowning in cheap chocolate, Baileys and tinsel. With this taste for abundance - we arrive at our third (& festive) journal entry, today we're thinking about Wreaths & Feasts, and the ways that they invite us to embrace ritual and connection.
ON WREATHS,
The act of crafting a wreath is one that is personal and intimate, each sprig selected and the direction that it's laid in, unique to its maker. Ribbon colour and quantity an important reflection of personal philosophy. Whether it's finding comfort in tradition, with wreaths entirely comprised of lush green pine, or embracing the contemporary, with glitzy wreaths of holographic tinsel. We personally love them all.
Our most recent ode to the wreath, saw us unsatisfied with front door-sized wreaths, why stop there? We decided to take things bolder, crafting a giant, person-sized wreath adorned with pink and green ribbons and cascading pearls.
To share the joy and ritual we find in the process of wreath making, earlier this month we partnered up with AURUM.LDN (@aurum_ldn_), our next door neighbours, to host a warm & festive evening dedicated to crafting wreaths and good conversation. Wine flowed out of coupes tied with little blue bows, big green olives disappeared faster than we expected and the studio filled with the scent of fresh pine and the sparkle of scattered tinsel. We watched as everyones personalities poured out into the wreath they were crafting. Some simple and curated, others wild and expressive. Seeing everyone weave a little of themselves in amongst the foliage and shimmer was the highlight of the evening for us.
ON FEASTS,
The act of crafting a wreath and the act of setting the table feel intertwined in many ways. The curation, positioning of candlesticks, layering of textures and colours.
These acts of preparation hold intention - to welcome, to celebrate, to transform ordinary into something meaningful. Joy over function. We decoratively drizzle plates with green oils, place flowers between our eyelines, pick out our best pasta bowls and stack slices of bread one on top of another like fallen dominoes.
Feasts even take on the same physical form as a wreath, a circle, around a table, sharing stories and treats. If wreaths are personal, feasts are communal. Feasts can be abundant and glamorous, but are more importantly a celebration of togetherness, and a process of ritual.
FEASTS IN FILM,
Thinking about feasting got us thinking about the beauty of food—its ability to transcend function or sustenance and take on visual meaning and significance. In film, food often becomes a feast for the eyes, rich with symbolism and emotion. Here, we want to share a few of our favourite film stills where food takes centre stage.
(MARY ANTOINETTE, 2006)
(PRETTY WOMAN, 1990)
(PULP FICTION, 1995)
FOR THE TABLE,
Here we want to offer you a simple but delicious Cranberry Sauce recipe from Nigel Slater. Something to fill your favourite little pot and dig out your tiniest teaspoon for. Something to be shared, dipped and dolloped this December.
“For a not-too-sweet cranberry sauce, tip 250g fresh or frozen cranberries into a pan with 100ml white wine and 100g caster sugar and bring to the boil. Cut a couple of long strips of orange zest into thin shreds and stir into the mixture. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the berries start to burst. Remove from the heat and beat lightly with a spoon so that some of the berries are broken up. Serve warm.”
This cranberry sauce, bright and tangy, is a reminder of how few and simple ingredients can come together to create something so joyful.
ON RITUAL,
In their essence, Wreaths & Feasts are a gathering. An accumulation of joy, offering and connection. A gathering in a literal sense of weaving pine and tinsel through moss, and also in a more symbolic sense, of coming together to share time, words and food. For many, that is the essence of December & the festive period.
Wreaths and feasts don’t have to be extravagant or overflowing. Whatever form they take, they are a reminder of the joy in connection. They are an example of tradition in its truest sense, crafted not by expectation, but by the intention and creativity of those who indulge in them.
Thank you so much for reading, we hope your festive period is full of connection, creativity and warmth. We'll be back in the New Year with more of our FLWR thoughts..