The advent wreath is one of those items that help decorate the home for Christmas. It also helps with families by getting them ready and keeping them focused on the coming of Christ. But the advent wreath is something that should be considered for some dangers for children and pets alike.

Each advent wreath has four candles that make it a magnet for children. Left unattended and without a constant warning not to play with matches, the natural inclination for children is to emulate what they see adults do and light those candles. Make sure that the matches or lighters are safely put away to minimize the temptation. If children are small and there is a concern with the fire, there are felt advent wreaths that have detachable flames making it much safer for children. It may also allow smaller children to participate in the actual lighting of the candles because the flames are made of cloth and safe for children. This safe way to handle advent and the lighting of the advent candles is very attractive to parents with young children.

Additional hazards for children include choking hazards like small berries that adorn an advent wreath. Also, the material of the wreath in many cases is not made to be put in the mouth. These are just a few items to consider when you put out the advent wreath for your family when there are small children in the house.

Pets also bring special challenges to an advent wreath. It is mostly seen in issues when real evergreen garland is used to make the base of the advent wreath. Usually people use wire which can cut gums if chewed on. Or, the needles themselves as they try get very sharp and can when ingested cause tears or punctures in the intestinal lining of the animal. These holes can cause internal bleeding. Additionally, many animals have an allergic reactions  to the needles and if they scratch or break the skin, the dog or cat can have an allergic reaction to it causing skin issue, itching or hotspots from scratching.

Additionally many fake advent wreaths have artificial berries making it again a choking hazard for the animal as well as a possible cause of an intestinal blockage. However, far worse is the ‘real’ counterparts. Most typed of Holly and Holly Berries are toxic if swallowed. It also is not advisable to put any type of mistletoe on the wreath but cause that too is toxic to pets. And although not directly related to the advent wreath, poinsettias are massively poisonous to dogs and cats. Never mount a poinsettia flower to your advent wreath.