When singing “deck the halls with boughs of holly” at Christmas, have you ever wondered, “Why holly?” What does this plant have to do with festive spirit? From religion to tradition to superstition, there are many reasons why holly is associated with Christmas.
Pagan peoples, particularly the Celts of the British Isles, revered evergreen plants such as holly for their ability to remain vibrant through the long, cold winters. They considered evergreens to be imbued with magical powers and consequently made them an integral part of many holy ceremonies, particularly the winter solstice festival.
Romans likewise held holly in high esteem. It, above all other plants, was sacred to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and therefore played an important role in this deity’s holy day, Saturnalia. Revellers gave one another holly wreaths, decorated images of Saturn with holly boughs, and carried holly during their festive processions.
When the Christian Church became the primary religion in the Roman Empire, it initially tried to stamp out pagan traditions. While successful on many counts, reverence for holly was too deeply rooted to be easily expunged, so church officials decided to assimilate holly into their own religious beliefs.
In early Christianity, holly had a religious significance that has been all but forgotten today. Holly has stiff, thorny leaves, and many believed it was the plant from which Jesus’s crown of thorns was made. As a result, holly’s bright red berries were symbolic of the Crucifixion and were called “Christ’s blood.”
English legend goes further. It explains the robin got its red breast in its efforts to relieve Jesus’s suffering by removing the thorns, during which it was struck by the thorns, its own blood staining its chest feathers red. That is why the holly berry remains one of the robin’s favourite foods.
As an evergreen, holly was said to represent eternal life. As a result, it came to symbolize Christ because, like Jesus, it triumphed over death.
In medieval times, holly was the most revered of the plants commonly associated with Christmas, and many holiday songs were composed in its honour. Most were religious in nature, referring to its association with Jesus. It was during this period that Christmas wreaths began to appear. Unlike those that hang on our doors today, medieval wreaths were originally made from holly and were circular to represent Jesus’s crown of thorns. It was believed the leaves’ prickly thorns provided a ward against evil spirits entering the home.
Soon, our halls were decked with boughs of holly as well. This ensured a happy Christmas free of misfortune. But one must be sure to pick the branches before Christmas Eve, or risk being exposed to the evil intentions of an enemy either in our world or in the spirit realm.
While modern custom might suggest otherwise, the original kissing ball was not just made of mistletoe. In truth, it often included holly and ivy in equal parts to mistletoe. The result was the same, however; anyone caught under it was to be kissed forthwith.
Finally, in many countries, the Christmas meal is topped with a sprig of holly as a blessing to Christ.
Whether you choose to deck your halls with this beautifully unique evergreen or simply sing its praises, this season, holly will have a new meaning for the holidays.
