Why holly is used for Christmas decoration
Why is holly used for Christmas decoration during the holiday season_
Holly adorns houses all over the world. The prickly green plant and its
red berries are a popular ornament for those looking to enliven their
homes with a little Christmas spirit. But where did this tradition
begin? Why do we deck our halls with boughs of holly foliage every
December? What does holly represent in the celebration of Christmas?
Holly is known for its vibrant red colour, which stands out against
the starkness of winter. But did you know that it's also associated with
males and is considered to bring men good luck and protection; the
female counterpart to holly is ivy. A famous English Christmas carol,
"The Holly and the Ivy," uses the holly symbol to celebrate the birth of
Christ. One line states, "The holly bears a berry/As red as any
blood/And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ/To do poor sinners good."
Another line says "The Holly bears a prickle/As sharp as any
thorn/And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ/On Christmas Day in the morn"
[source: The Hymns and Carols of Christmas].
The first harbingers of Christmas arrive in October with jarring
sales and decorations and by December, Christmas's true heralds are
out: twinkling lights lining streets, the smell of balsam and spice
cookies wafting through the house and visits from friends and relatives.
The season's spirit drives people to the mall, to the kitchen, to
midnight mass and festive gatherings.
But how did people celebrate Christmas before the advent of shopping
malls and electric lights? What's the history behind the tradition? At
its core, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. The
holiday's connection to Christ is obvious through its Old English root
of "Cristes maesse" or Christ's Mass. For Christians, it is the time to
renew one's faith, give generously and consider the past. But Christmas
is also a secular celebration of family--one that many non-practising
Christians and people of other religions are comfortable accepting as
their own. The secular nature of Christmas was officially acknowledged
in 1870 when the United States Congress made it a federal holiday.
Federal and state employees and most private businesses observe December
25 by not working.
Christmas is also a fascinating miscellany of traditions: one that
combines pre-Christian pagan rituals with modern traditions. Every
family that celebrates Christmas has its own customs - some surprisingly
universal, others entirely unique - but all comfortably familiar in
their seeming antiquity.
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