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(ARA) - Each Christmas decorated trees, twinkling lights and familiar
carols take center stage in creating a festive holiday atmosphere. Certain
plants play key roles as well: church altars banked with poinsettias,
mistletoe hung over doorways, and holly adorning floral arrangements.
Ironically, the histories of most Christmas plants have pagan roots (pardon
the pun!), some dating back to the druids in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Yet over the centuries they evolved into beloved Christian symbols.
Dr. Charles Aling, professor of history at Northwestern College, St. Paul,
Minn., explains that Christmas plants such as holly, ivy, mistletoe and
poinsettia became Christmas favorites due in part to their bright colors
and evergreen properties. "Their coloration did a lot for the drab,
cold and dark time of year when other plants had died and the landscape
was colorless. Both the pagans and Christians saw these plants as bringing
light and color into the season."
Holly -- Holly's ability to look good in both winter and summer certainly
helped its position in folklore, Aling explains. Representing immortality
and seen as a good omen, holly was considered sacred by the ancient Romans
and used as a gift during the festival of Saturnalia. Holly was brought
into homes when winter began to shelter the elves and faeries.
During the early years of Christianity in Rome, many Christians continued
to deck their homes with holly to avoid detection and persecution. Gradually,
holly became a Christmas symbol as Christianity became the dominant religion.
Because the holly leaf has sharp, pointy edges, Christians see the holly
representing Jesus' crown of thorns and the red berries representing the
blood He shed on the cross.
Ivy -- Aside from the familiar carol, "The Holly and the Ivy,"
the ivy vine doesn't have quite the Christmas tradition as mistletoe and
holly, Aling says. It was associated with Bacchus the Roman god and thought
to bring good luck, fun and ecstatic happiness. Growing the plant on the
outside walls of a house was believed to be a deterrent against misfortune.
However, if it died, it was thought that financial trouble was approaching.
Like evergreens, ivy was also seen as a symbol of eternal life.
Because ivy symbolized prosperity and charity, it became associated with
Christmas, a time to celebrate the rich rewards of life yet remember the
less fortunate. Christian symbolists also consider the ivy's need to cling
to a support emblematic of man's need for divine support, explains Aling.
<P>
Mistletoe -- Legend explains that the tears of Scandinavian goddess Frigga
saved her son after he was shot with an arrow made of mistletoe. When
she ordered mistletoe never again be used to harm others, she made it
a symbol of peace and love. It was also hung over doorways to ward off
evil and bring happiness, health and good luck, and kissing under the
mistletoe was thought to increase the possibility of marriage in the upcoming
year.
When Christianity took a foothold in northern Europe, mistletoe was one
of the pagan casualties. For centuries it was forbidden on Christian altars.
Eventually, mistletoe found its way back into acceptance when the Victorians
revived the ancient ritual of kissing under the mistletoe as a sign of
love, romance and good luck.
Poinsettias -- "While most Christmas plants date back several hundred
years to Europe and the Mediterranean," Aling points out, "the
poinsettia is a relatively recent Christmas symbol based in the Western
world." Native to Mexico and cultivated by the Aztec Indians, the
poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, first U.S. Ambassador
to Mexico, who imported it from Mexico in 1828. After the Spanish conquest
and the introduction of Christianity, the poinsettia found a place in
Christmas rituals.
The legend of the poinsettia tells of a poor village boy in Mexico who
wanted to give the Holy Child a gift, but had no money. In desperation,
he picked some weeds on his way to church to leave as his gift. He prayed
to God to help him show his love and God answered by turning the weeds
into a beautiful star-shaped flower with bright red leaves. The poinsettia
has been a Christmas symbol ever since signifying how Jesus meets the
needs of His believers.
Even though most Christmas plants are short-lived, basic care helps them
last through the holiday season.
"Holly is actually a shade shrub that is quite plentiful in England.
The shrub should be planted in the spring," explains Dr. Jerry Beilby,
professor of biology at Northwestern College. "Cut holly lasts longer
indoors if treated like cut flowers, placed in cool water, and kept away
from excessive heat."
Ivy is more of an English Christmas green than an American one, he says.
"It's a very popular houseplant in the United States since it's relatively
easy to grow. It takes low water, either direct or indirect sun and even
thrives in the shade."
Mistletoe is actually a parasite that feeds off trees and shrubs, Beilby
says. "Plants bloom in the summer and produce white berries during
the winter. Mistletoe is often hung upside down and dried during the holidays."
The berries are poisonous, so keep the sprigs out of the reach of children.
Many commercial firms now market mistletoe with artificial berries for
safety.
A poinsettia can last for weeks beyond the holidays when placed in indirect
sunlight at least six hours a day," he explains. "Keep it away
from cold drafts and excessive heat. Water when it feels dry, and after
the blooming season use an all-purpose fertilizer once a month."
Beilby adds that the belief that poinsettias are poisonous is a misconception.
Scientific evidence of the plant's safety is ample and well documented.
Poinsettias are actually helpful in removing pollutants from indoor air.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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