 While wreaths were used by ancient Romans and Greeks, the traditional style of Christmas wreath goes back to around the same time that Christmas trees came indoors in the 16th century. People would cut limbs off trees when bringing them inside to make it fit in a room, and also to make it more of a triangle shape. This was meant to represent the Holy Christian Trinity, but instead of throwing pieces away, they wove the excess branches in the wreaths. They would often hang these wreaths on Christmas trees like ornaments, as a symbol of eternal life. German pastor Johann Weischen is often credited with turning the wreath into a symbol of the Christian Advent. In this tradition, four candles would be lit, one for each week of the Advent. Normally, three of the candles would be purple, representing hope, peace and love, and the fourth candle would be red, symbolizing the joy of new life. By the 19th century, much like the Christmas tree, wreaths had been accepted by cultures across the world as another wonderful Christmas tradition.