The Holiday Season is filled with colorful customs and traditions. Among these are trees and plants that are symbolic of Christmas and New Years. During this time, many homes feature evergreens, wreathes, mistletoe, poinsettias, and/or boughs of holly. Each of these have unique histories. Here are three of them.
Origin of Mistletoe as a Symbol
Mistletoe is actually a hemi-parasitic plant -- a plant that can live on its own, but more often lives on and feeds off a tree. The meaning of the word itself may be from combining the Germanic words mist (meaning dung) and tang (meaning branch). It was given this rather unappealing name because mistletoe seeds are often spread by bird droppings. The plant produces small berries during the Winter Solstice, a time which roughly corresponds with Christmas Day.
People today attach mistletoe to a door frame or hang it from a ceiling in the hopes of obtaining a hug or kiss from a loved one, thus associating the plant with with romance. However, the plant originally had different meanings. Early European cultures, such as the Druids, believed the plant brought good luck and would ward off evil spirits. The Celts believed it had magical powers in healing wounds or as an antidote for poisoning.
In Scandinavia, where the idea of kissing is believed by some to have originated, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce. It is this use as a peace symbol that helps to explain the Christian use of it. During the Middle Ages, a sprig of mistletoe was often placed on church altars as a sign of peace during the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Origins of Holly As a Symbol
Holly is actually a large bush or small tree. Contrary to some beliefs, the plant's name is not derived from “holy,” but is Proto-Indo-European in origin and means “prickly,” referring to the sharp ends of its leaves. Branches of the plant are used today as separate decorations, in evergreen wreaths, or in combination with mistletoe. It is even used as a decoration for some foods.
The ancient Romans associated holly with Saturn, the god of agriculture and harvest, and used it as a decoration during the festival of Saturnalia which was celebrated during the Winter Solstice. Early European cultures believed that it could be used to foretell the future, to ward off evil spirits, as a weapon against witchcraft, or as a symbol of fertility and eternal life.
Holly first began as a Christian symbol during the Middle Ages. The plant’s bright red berries resembled drops of blood and its prickly leaves were reminiscent of the Crown of Thorns. This is why holly is used in wreaths, which can also symbolize eternal life. One related legend is that holly wood was used for Christ’s cross.
The Poinsettia As a Christmas Symbol
The poinsettia is a shrub that features green leaves combined with red, white, or pink leaves surrounding tiny yellow flowers. Used by the Aztecs as a dye and medicine, it is native to Mexico and Central America where it is known as "Flores de Noche Buena" (Flower of the Holy Night) and was used in these areas by Franciscan friars in Nativity processions as early as the 17th century.
It’s association with Christmas is also based on an old Mexican legend. One version of the legend is this one from HowStuffWorks:
“On a Christmas Eve, long ago, a poor little boy went to church in great sadness because he had no gift to bring the Holy Child. He dared not enter the church, and, kneeling humbly on the ground outside the house of God, he prayed fervently and assured our Lord, with tears, how much he desired to offer him some lovely present --‘But I am very poor and dread to approach you with empty hands.’ When he finally rose from his knees, he saw springing up at his feet a green plant with gorgeous blooms of dazzling red.”
The name "poinsettia" comes from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U. S. Minister to Mexico and an amateur botanist, who introduced the plant to the United States and the rest of the world in 1828. The red leaves on the variety used at Christmastime can resemble a star. For this reason, the plant is often called the Christmas Star.
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