The plants commonly associated with Christmas
There are many plants that symbolise Christmas holly, mistletoe and ivy being the obvious ones – but you’ll find a host of others associated with the festive season throughout the world.
I love holly. The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word holegn, and it was used to decorate houses in winter. This use seems to have originated in the Roman festival of Saturnalia in late December, later adopted by Christians.
By the 15th century, holly was used to decorate churches at Christmas and as indoor trees before the Victorian import from Germany of spruces and firs.
Traditionally, holly provided the timber for Jesus’s cross and the berries appeared after a nativity lamb was caught in a holly bush.
Holly berries were thought to represent the drops of blood caused by Christ’s crown of thorns and before this, they were yellow; finally, the robin obtained its red breast while eating the berries from the crown of thorns.
Ivy (Hedera helix) is associated with Christmas because its leaves symbolise eternity and resurrection. However, on a pagan level, the plant is also associated with Bacchus, the god of wine and debauchery.
Mistletoe figured prominently in Greek mythology, and was believed to be The Golden Bough of Aeneas, ancestor of the Romans.
When Christianity became widespread, the mystical aspects of mistletoe were integrated into the new religion. This may have led to the custom of kissing under the plant, first documented in the 16th century.
According to custom, the mistletoe must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal as the last of Christmas greens at Candlemas. It may remain hanging throughout the year, often to preserve the house from lightning or fire, until it is replaced the following Christmas Eve.
If you fancy decorating with something a little different, try these;
Large radishes are carved and used for Noche de Rabanos in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Olive branches decorate homes as a symbol for peace in Israel.
Symbols of prosperity are diverse - bulrushes (Taiwan); wheat sheaves (Bulgaria); opium poppy pods (Eastern Europe) and pomegranates (Middle East).
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