Holly
The Druids believed that holly, with its shiny leaves and red berries stayed green to keep the earth beautiful when the sacred oak lost it leaves. They wore sprigs of holly in their hair when they went into the forest to watch their priests cut the sacred mistletoe.
Holly was the sacred
plant of Saturn and was used at the Roman Saturnalia festival to honor him.
Romans gave one another holly wreaths and carried them about decorating images
of Saturn with it. Centuries later, in December, while other Romans continued
their pagan worship, Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus . To avoid
persecution, they decked their homes with Saturnalia holly. As Christian
numbers increased and their customs prevailed, holly lost its pagan association
and became a symbol of Christmas.
The plant has come to stand for peace and joy, people often settle arguments
under a holly tree. Holly is believed to frighten off witches and protect
the home from thunder and lightning. In West England it is said sprigs of
holly around a young girl's bed on Christmas Eve are suppose to keep away
mischievous little
goblins. In Germany, a piece that has been used in church
decorations is regarded as a charm against lightning. In England, British
farmers put sprigs of holly on their beehives. On the first Christmas,
they believed, the bees hummed in honor of the Christ Child. The English
also mention the "he holly and the she holly" as being the determining
factor in who will rule the household in the following year, the "she
holly" having smooth leaves and the "he holly" having prickly
ones. Other beliefs included putting a sprig of holly on the bedpost to bring
sweet dreams and making a tonic from holly to cure a cough. All of these
references give light to "decking the halls with boughs of holly."