Legendary Greens
Laurel Long before the advent of the Christmas custom of decorating homes with greens, ancient Romans brought laurels and other trees indoors in the dead of winter. But this practice wasn’t just for decoration. The greens were believed to house the gods of growth and rejuvenation. It was thought that, in providing these deities shelter, householders could harness their life-promoting powers. The laurel, with its spicy-fragrant leaves, was a favorite because of its availability. This native of the warm Mediterranean region can grow up to 50 feet tall.
Hawthorn The spring-blooming, white-blossomed hawthorn-or thorn apple-has its Christmas roots in England’s past. According to the story, the hawthorn sprouted in Glastonbury at the spot where St. Joseph of Arimathea planted his staff. The thorny tree grew leaves and bloomed Christmas Eve-a miracle, given that the hawthorn is deciduous and sheds its leaves in autumn for a barren winter. One type of American hawthorn, however, doesn’t need legend to supply a wintertime showing. The cockspur produces a red fruit that remains on the tree all winter as a ready source of decoration.
Holly and Ivy Believed by Romans, then Christians, to have protective powers, holly was used as a charm throughout the home-hence ‘deck the halls with boughs of holly.’ An ancient symbol of love, full-flowing ivy is a natural companion to hard, prickly holly. Beginning in the Middle Ages, the English twined ivy around arrangements of berry-laden holly for a softening touch. The holly was thought male and the ivy female, with the pairing symbolizing a good-natured rivalry between the sexes.
Green Boughs Since the beginning of recorded history, people have been fascinated with evergreen’s ability to stay verdant year-round. There appeared to be something supernatural about the feisty, fragrant plant’s will to live, no matter how brutal the winter. The Greeks and Romans brought greenery indoors as a living reminder of nature’s vitality. It was a short step to adopt the custom of decorating with greens for Christmas. With the rise of the Victorian era came an appreciation of lavish arrangements made from ivy, hemlock, yew, laurel, and bay. One popular 19th-century American custom utilized the greens as memorials honoring the dead at Christmas. Woven into wreaths, stars, and crosses for graves, greens were later removed from cemeteries by family members and brought home, where the boughs continued to symbolize the season as holiday decor.
Mistletoe No winter plant carries quite the mystique-or fun-of mistletoe. Druid priests in ancient Britain noted this parasite plant’s ability to wind around a tree as it grows, never planting roots in the ground. Their conclusion: Mistletoe must be sacred. White-robed Druid high priests observed winter solstice in late December by climbing an oak tree and cutting down mistletoe. Crowds caught the mistletoe with outspread robes. Should even a single sprig touch the earth, it signified extreme bad luck. Catching the mistletoe meant fertility for animals. The current custom of kissing beneath mistletoe got its start in Scandinavian mythology. Balder, son of the Norse goddess of love, Frigga, was killed by an arrow of mistletoe. Frigga’s tears fell onto the mistletoe and turned into white berries. Frigga swore that mistletoe would never again be a source of death, but instead, should promote love: Anyone caught standing beneath the plant should receive a kiss.
Flowering Branches As an emblem of nature’s transformation, flowering branches hold special meaning in the gloom of winter, when the promise of spring’s renewal keeps spirits hopeful. One story suggests that at the birth of Jesus, rivers ran with wine and previously bare trees blossomed, despite the icy cold. In Sweden, the idea that blossoms are the fulfillment of the ultimate Christmas promise has been honed into an annual custom. On St. Lucia’s Day, December13, girls plant a cherry branch in wet sand. If the branch blooms before Christmas, it means all their holiday wishes will be fulfilled.
Evergreen Trees The custom of including an evergreen tree in the Christmas celebration dates back to the 16th century. Martin Luther was said to be strolling through the forest one Christmas Eve when he became awestruck by the splendor of the stars twinkling through he snowy tree branches. To him, the sight suggested the majesty and mystery of the starlit sky as it must have appeared that first Christmas in Bethleham. Luther so wanted to share the experience with his children that he chopped down a snowy fir tree, carried it home, and decorated it with candles-the next best thing to starlight. In 1605, a writer in the Alsace region of France was the first to document a decorated Christmas tree. He recorded how residents cut down fir trees, then dressed them up with apples, gold foil, paper roses, wafers, and sweets-decorations that have remained timeless.
