Wreath of Christ
The Wreath of Christ (; Danish and Norwegian: "Kristuskransen"), also known as the Lutheran rosary, are a set of prayer beads developed in 1995 by Swedish Evangelical Lutheran bishop emeritus Martin Lönnebo. The Wreath of Christ contains 18 beads, which are known as "pearls", with many including a crucifix. They are an often used devotion in the Lutheran Church after their popularization through the text "Pearls of Life"; the Wreath of Christ has been used in ecumenical Christian settings as well. Background. Bishop Lönnebo of the Lutheran Church of Sweden was stranded on an island in Greece for  several days because of a storm. When he saw the Greek fishermen with their kombologia (which are in fact worry beads that have no religious or spiritual function), he was inspired to create the Wreath of Christ. He first developed, on paper, a set of Lutheran prayer beads where he gave all the pearls a specific meaning. After the return home to Sweden, he made the actual pearl ribbon, based on his sketches and started using it in his prayers. The devotion began to spread rapidly in Sweden and to other Lutheran countries. Pearls. The order starts at the golden  God bead and goes counter-clockwise. In this order, the pearls symbolise the course of life, and also represent a catechism. Prayers. The following prayers are said on the Wreath of Christ: After these eighteen prayers, the Lord's Prayer is recited (either on the Golden Bead of God or on the crucifix).