A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance.
Etymology
From the French , itself from the Italian , a braid.
Types
Bead garland
Flower garland
Lei - The traditional garland of Hawaiʻi. Pennant garland Pine garland Popcorn and/or cranberry garland Rope garland Tinsel garland Vine garland Balloon garland Mundamala - Garland of severed heads or skulls, found in Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist iconography.
Daisy chain
A garland created from the daisy flower (generally as a children's game) is called a daisy chain. One method of creating a daisy chain is to pick daisies and create a hole towards the base of the stem (such as with fingernails or by tying a knot). The stem of the next flower can be threaded through until stopped by the head of the flower. By repeating this with many daisies, it is possible to build up long chains and to form them into simple bracelets and necklaces. Another popular method involves pressing the flower heads against each other to create a look similar to a caterpillar. In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, before Alice's adventures begin, she is seen sitting outside with her sister considering whether to make a daisy chain, before being interrupted by a White Rabbit.
The terms "daisy chain" or "daisy chaining" can also refer to various technical and social "chains".
In literature
Garlands appear in numerous poems, including "La Belle Dame sans Merci" by John Keats. In the Bible (English Standard Version), Proverbs 4:9 describes Wisdom as the giver of a garland: "She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown." In the deutercanonical Book of Sirach, the organiser or "ruler" of a banquet is authorised and permitted to wear a garland once the meal has been arranged and the guests settled. The "drunkards of Ephraim" (northern Israel) are condemned by the prophet Isaiah by reference to the fading flowers of their garlands (Isaiah 28:2). In the 1913 novel The Golden Road by Lucy M. Montgomery a "fading garland" is used as a metaphor for the evening of life or aging in general "[...] Did she realize in a flash of prescience that there was no earthly future for our sweet Cecily? Not for her were to be the lengthening shadows or the fading garland. The end was to come while the rainbow still sparkled on her wine of life, ere a single petal had fallen from her rose of joy. [...]". In the 1906 children's book The Railway Children, Edith Nesbit uses a garland as a metaphor: "Let the garland of friendship be ever green".
Regional practices
Indian subcontinent
In countries of the Indian subcontinent, such as India and Pakistan, people may place garland around the necks of guests of honour, as a way of showing respect to them. Garlands are worn by the bridegroom in South Asian weddings.
India
Garlands were historically purely secular at first, sought for their fragrance and beauty and used for decorating houses, roads, and streets. It is eventually applied to Hindu deities as an important and traditional role in every festival where these garlands are made using different fragrant flowers (often jasmine) and leaves. Both fragrant and non-fragrant flowers and religiously-significant leaves are used to make garlands to worship Hindu deities. Some popular flowers include: jasmine champaka lotus lily ashoka nerium/oleander chrysanthemum rose hibiscus pinwheel flower manoranjini, etc.
Apart from these, leaves and grasses like arugampul, maruvakam, davanam, maachi, paneer leaves, lavancha are also used for making garlands. Fruit, vegetables, and sometimes even currency notes are also used for garlands, given as thanksgiving.
Wedding ceremonies in India include the bride and groom wearing a wedding garland. On other occasions, garlands are given as a sign of respect to an individual person or to a divine image.
A gajra is a flower garland which women in India and Bangladesh wear in their hair during traditional festivals. It is commonly made with jasmine. It can be worn around a bun, as well as in braids. Women usually wear these when they wear sarees. Sometimes, they are pinned in the hair with other flowers, such as roses.
South India
In ancient times, Tamil kings employed people to manufacture garlands daily for a particular deity. These garlands were not available for public consumption.