And why do we deck the hall with boughs of holly? Why are Poinsettias special to South Carolina? Why is mistletoe not sold or used in homes anymore? These deep mysteries and more will be explored in this article because I love Christmas plants and greenery. And by the way, theoriginal lyrics are “hall” in the singular, not “halls.” I have been corrected many times in chorus.
We can thank the pagan cultures before Christianity arrived in Europe for our use of holidaygreenery. In northern Europe, the Germanic tribes celebrated a festival known as Yul. It was a time of feasting and renewal of life during the darkest time of the year around the winter solstice.Since holly, ivy, and conifers are evergreen when other plant material is brown and dead, homes were decorated with this greenery as a symbol of hope. A figure that was part plant and part human known as the Green Man was a pagan symbol of this re-birth. He is commonly pictured as having ivy and holly in his hair and beard. Mistletoe, which seems to grow on oak trees, was a favorite of the Druids, a priest class of teachers and leaders among the Celtic peoples of Europe.Since the white berries are produced in winter, it gave hope of a seasonal change and the return of more daylight.
When Christianity became dominant in Europe, the early Church leaders tried to incorporate some pagan customs into worship, most likely to appease their new converts. Sort of a “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” moment. Churches, as well as homes, were now decorated with winter greenery. Greenery was now given Christian significance- holly berries represented the blood of Jesus while white mistletoe berries, the purity of Mary.
The Germans were the first to bring an entire conifer into their homes. Queen Victoria’s German consort, Prince Albert, brought this custom to England and soon everyone wanted to have a Christmas tree like the royal family. Even in this country, we wanted to keep up with the Royals so Christmas trees became part of our holiday tradition.
Of all the holiday greenery, I have always loved mistletoe. My grandmother used to get a large box of it sent to her from Texas where they used to shoot it down from the tops of the trees.When is the last time you saw mistletoe for sale? Unfortunately, the berries are toxic to pets and people and they do tend to fall off the stalk and roll around. So alas, no more mistletoe for me.
There Is another holiday plant that I really enjoy and although it is not native to South Carolina, it is part of our history. If you go to Greenville, right on the main street there is a statue of Joel Poinsett. Poinsett was our first ambassador to Mexico serving from 1825-1829. While there he discovered a popular plant that the Spanish called flora de nochbuena or flower of Christmas Eve. He is responsible for bringing this plant back to the United States. Poinsettias are considered the most notable holiday plant. The sap can cause a reaction in some people and pets can vomit from eating the plant, but it is not toxic. Poinsettias are grown in the millions for the holidays. Over 70 million a year are produced, most at a Ranch in California. What appear to be red flowers, are really bracts or leaves. The flowers are the tiny yellow cluster in the middle of the flower like bract. Poinsettias are not cold hardy so they are best used indoors. Can you keep them alive inside all year long? Yes, but they really take some care and start looking really leggy.I just compost them when I done with them.
A plant that is growing quickly in popularity is the Amaryllis. Native to South America, these bulbs are seemingly for sale everywhere at this time of the year. When you plant them, make certain that only two-thirds of the bulb is covered with soil and the rest is above the surface. I plant mine around Thanksgiving or a little earlier. They grow quickly. Once they are done blooming, do not throw them away. You can plant them in your garden and they will rebloom.Again, make certain that one-third of the bulb is above ground. I wish I could say that they will bloom again in time for the holidays, but mine seem to bloom in June.
Enjoy your holiday plants and remember to thank a Druid for your greenery. Yes, there are still people who call themselves Druids!
