During the holidays, many folks love to drape
their doorways and deck their halls with cheerful holly wreaths and
garlands. These traditionalists may even sing wistfully of "The
Holly and the Ivy" when they go out caroling.
As with most holiday symbols, this celebratory
plant's original meaning has been buried under a myriad of cultural
layers. The pagan Druids are believed to have been the first to take
holly to heart. They viewed holly – with its cheerful propensity to
remain green in winter – as a sacred plant, designed to keep the earth
beautiful even as north winds howled and snow blanketed the landscape.
They wore sprigs of holly in their hair when they went into the forest
to watch their priests cut the sacred mistletoe.
The Romans, meanwhile, bequeathed the creation
of holly to their god Saturn and used it in great abundance during their
raucous Saturnalia festival. Romans gave one another holly wreaths and
carried them about decorating images of Saturn with it.
Centuries later, in December, while other
Romans continued their pagan worship, Christians celebrated the birth of
Jesus. To avoid persecution, they decked their homes with Saturnalia
holly. As Christian numbers increased and their customs prevailed, holly
lost its pagan association and became a symbol of Christmas.
The plant has come to stand for peace and joy,
people often settle arguments under a holly tree. Holly is believed to
frighten off witches and protect the home from thunder and lightning. In
West England it is said sprigs of holly around a young girl's bed on
Christmas Eve are suppose to keep away mischievous little goblins. In
Germany, a piece that has been used in church decorations is regarded as
a charm against lightning. In England, British farmers put sprigs of
holly on their beehives. On the first Christmas, they believed, the bees
hummed in honor of the Christ Child. The English also mention the
"he holly and the she holly" as being the determining factor
in who will rule the household in the following year, the "she
holly" having smooth leaves and the "he holly" having
prickly ones. Other beliefs included putting a sprig of holly on the
bedpost to bring sweet dreams and making a tonic from holly to cure a
cough. All of these references give light to "decking the halls
with boughs of holly."
The Holly and the Ivy
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
The rising of the sun
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a blossom
As white as the lily flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet savior.
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas day in the morn.
The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown.
- Old English Christmas Carol
-
Other Legends
Holly is one of the trees said to be the tree
of Christ's cross. Legend tells us that the trees of the forests refused
the defilement of the cross, splintering into tiny fragments at the
touch of the ax. Only the holly behaved like an ordinary tree, allowing
itself to be cut and formed into a cross. It is as a Passion symbol that
holly is found in pictures of various saints. It's presence indicates
that the saint is either reflecting upon Christ's Passion or foretelling
it.
In Germany, holly is called Christdorn in
memory of Christ's crown of thorns. According to legend, the holly's
branches were woven into a painful crown and placed on Christ's head
while the soldiers mocked him saying, "Hail, King of the
Jews." The holly's berries used to be white but Christ's blood left
them with a permanent crimson stain.
Another legend about this Christmas plant says
that a little orphan boy was living with the shepherds when the angels
came to announce the birth of the newborn king. Having no gift for the
baby, the child wove a crown of holly branches for its head. But when he
lay it before Christ, he became ashamed of it's poverty and began to
cry. Miraculously, Jesus touched the crown and it began to sparkle while
the orphan's tears turned into beautiful scarlet berries.
