Holly wreath. Holly Winter Magic

Christmas traditions and symbols

The Church strove to get rid of the remnants of paganism: the fact is that at about the same time, according to tradition, the birthday of the Roman sun god was celebrated.

Therefore, the church fathers decided to establish a new, Christian holiday in honor of the birthday of Jesus Christ, which would replace the Roman one.

In America, Christmas was not celebrated right away: the early Puritan colonists were generally suspicious of the holidays, and in Massachusetts it was even banned.
Many years before the birth of Christ, the Druids used mistletoe branches to decorate their homes, celebrating the onset of winter.

They revered her as a sacred plant and believed that mistletoe has the ability to heal many diseases (including infertility), helps with poisoning and protects from evil spells.

For the Anglo-Saxons, mistletoe was one of the attributes of Freya, the goddess of love, fertility and beauty.

According to custom, a man had the right to kiss a girl who accidentally found herself under a branch of mistletoe (they were usually attached to the ceiling or hung over a doorway).

The custom of kissing under the mistletoe persists to this day in many countries, especially during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Now mistletoe is one of the main symbols of Christmas, although at first the church forbade it to be used to decorate homes, because of the pagan legends associated with this plant.

Holly is another Christmas symbol.

And, of course, there were also druids who respected the holly for its ability to remain green and beautiful even in winter, when nature was deprived of most of its colors.

The Romans also loved this plant, considering it a creation of Saturn. During the exuberant celebration of the Saturnalia (the prototype of the European carnival), the townspeople gave each other holly wreaths and decorated their houses with them.

Centuries later, while the bulk of the Romans continued to celebrate Saturnalia, the early Christians were already secretly celebrating Christmas.

To avoid persecution, they, like everyone else, decorated their houses with holly branches. When Christianity later became the dominant religion, the holly became a recognized symbol of Christmas.

According to some versions, it was from him that the crown of Christ was made, and the holly berries, initially white, turned red from the blood of the Savior.
Holly also means joy and reconciliation and, according to popular belief, protects against witchcraft and lightning.

Poinsettia is a very beautiful Mexican plant that is often used to decorate rooms during the Christmas holidays.

Poinsettia is named after Joel Poinsette, the first American ambassador to Mexico, who brought her to the States in 1828.

Due to the shape of its leaves, this plant became a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem and therefore was associated with Christmas. The bright red poinsettia leaves surrounding its plain yellow flower are often mistaken for petals.

Christmas Candy

Before the cane-shaped (or shepherd's) striped mint lollipop was invented, parents used to give their kids lollipop sticks made from plain white sugar for Christmas.

In the 17th century, they began to bend it in the shape of a staff, and in the 19th century, red stripes familiar to everyone now appeared on the white candy.

This lollipop combined several Christian symbols. Its form was supposed to remind people that Christ is the shepherd of mankind, who gave his life for his flock and, at the same time, a sacrificial lamb.

In addition, the inverted lollipop resembles the letter J that begins the name Jesus. The whiteness of the candy symbolizes the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary and the sinless life of Christ, and the hardness of sugar speaks of its steadfastness and desire to serve as support and protection for those who believe in it.

Three thin red stripes, according to one of the versions, denote the Holy Trinity, and one wide one - the One God. Sometimes another strip is made on the candy - green, which reminds believers that Jesus is a gift from God (green symbolizes giving).

Stocking for gifts
On Christmas Eve, as usual, children hang a stocking by the fireplace, which Santa fills with gifts at night.

This tradition is associated with one of the legends about St. Nicholas (the prototype of Santa). According to this legend, the saint gave three poor dowry women a purse of gold each, secretly putting their gifts in the girls' stockings, which they hung on the grate for the night to dry.

Since then, children have left their stockings by the hearth, hoping to find something pleasant in them in the morning.

Children leave cookies for Santa on the mantel as a token of gratitude for the work he does every Christmas.

And those who behaved badly, hope in this way to appease him a little in order to also receive a gift.

The first Christmas card appeared in 1843 in England.

It was created by John Horsley and Sir Henry Cole. The first batch of postcards (1,000 pieces) was sold in London and consisted of hand-painted lithography on thick cardboard.

In the center of the picture was a family celebrating, and below it were the words "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You."

The side pictures showed charity scenes: feeding the hungry and dressing the poor.

The tradition of hanging holly (holly) wreaths at Christmas is associated with a crown of thorns on the head of Christ, which the Roman soldiers put on him.

Holly (Ilex aquifolia) is one of the most beloved and expressive Christmas symbols. In Christian symbolism, the thorny leaves of the holly express suffering, and the red berries - blood, it is a symbol of eternal life and rebirth. One of the biblical legends says that where the Savior stepped on the ground, holly bushes grew. In some images, the crown of thorns on the head of Christ replaces the thorny wreath of holly. According to biblical legends, once its berries were white, but stained with the blood of the Savior, they turned red. Some sources claim that a cross was made from the wood of the holly, on which the Savior was crucified - other trees refused to take part in this and split at the first blow of the ax, and only the holly remained firm.

For Christmas wreaths and compositions, not only holly is now used, but also American deciduous species - whorled holly (Ilex verticillata) and falling holly (Ilex decidua), which by New Year's holidays are already without leaves, but densely decorated with bright drupes. And holly holly, as well as hybrid species of meserv holly (Ilex x meservae) and altaklarensky holly (Ilex x altaclarensis) are represented by many varieties - with green, bluish, variegated foliage, with red, orange and yellow berries.

We do not grow holly holly, but in the New Year's decor this winter berry will not be superfluous, even if there is no need to drive away evil spirits. It is said that the mystical spirit of the holly is able to attract financial well-being and improve business.

The tree has become a symbol of Christmas and New Year for us for a long time. In Europe, holly or holly are as popular as spruce. Ornate dark green leaves and bright red holly fruits can be seen on postcards and the pages of numerous magazines.

Centuries later, while the bulk of the Romans continued to celebrate Saturnalia, the early Christians were already secretly celebrating Christmas. To avoid persecution, they, like everyone else, decorated their houses with holly branches. When Christianity later became the dominant religion, the holly became a recognized symbol of Christmas. According to some versions, it was from him that the crown of Christ was made, and the holly berries, initially white, turned red from the blood of the Savior. Holly also means joy and reconciliation and, according to popular belief, protects against witchcraft and lightning.

The same as in Europe, decorations from the branches appeared in Russia by the decree of Peter I, and since spruce branches turned out to be the most accessible, it was the spruce that became the Russian symbol of the New Year. But holly is not only an ornamental plant, its sticky bark, together with mistletoe berries, was used in the old days for cooking glue, and small crafts, handles for tools, gear wheels for watches and small mechanisms were made from durable and beautiful wood. In Germany, in the century before last, sun-dried holly leaves were used as a substitute for tea, which also had expectorant and diuretic properties. In the 19th century, holly was considered a powerful anti-febrile remedy, comparing its activity to cinchona bark, which in those days was unmatched in the treatment of swamp fever (malaria).
Interestingly, Hollywood means "holly forest" in translation. Of course, there is hardly anything left of the forest except the name, but once this forest was located on small mountains and hillocks.

Holly (Holly)
Latin name: Ilex.
Categories: ornamental trees and shrubs, plants for shady areas.
Family: holly (Aquifoliáceae).
Homeland Holly (holly) is distributed almost all over the world, in temperate and tropical regions.
Form: evergreen or deciduous shrub or tree.

Description
The genus has about 400 species. Holly is an evergreen or deciduous tree or shrub with highly decorative foliage and berries. Holly leaves are leathery, dense, dark green, toothed, rarely whole-edged. Holly berries are red, yellow, white, black or orange; ripen in autumn and remain on the plant even under snow. Holly flowers are dioecious; to produce fruit, male and female specimens must be planted. Holly shears well.

Holly, or holly(I. aquifolium). Large, slow-growing, dome-shaped shrub or small conical tree 2 to 10 m in height and up to 4 m in width with slightly curved shoots. The lower shoots of holly or common holly hang down, often lie on the ground and sometimes take root. Upper shoots of holly or common holly are spread or erect. Leaves are evergreen, oval or narrow ovate, shiny, dense, dark green; the edges of the leaves of young plants have sharp thorns. Holly fruits are pea-sized, shiny, red, numerous, decorative, poisonous. The root system of the common holly is deep and wide. Holly is not hardy. In nature, the plant is widespread in central Europe.

Holly crenate(I. crenata). Asymmetric, upright shrub of medium size, variable in shape. Height - 2-3 m, width - 1-2 m. Crenate holly grows slowly. The leaves are evergreen, small, oblong-ovate, entire, dark green. It does not bloom in early July every year. Fruits are small, black berries up to 6 mm in diameter are not decorative. In winter, the crenate holly is unstable.

Holly mezerva(I. x meserveae). A hybrid of the European common holly and the Korean wrinkled holly. A shrub that varies greatly (depending on the variety) in appearance. Holly Mezerva leaves are evergreen, oval or narrow ovate, when blooming, bronze-green, then shiny, dark green, in winter they are often black or crimson-green, dense, leathery, soft, with mild spines. The flowers are numerous, white, with a light aroma, bloom in May. The fruits of the holly Mezerva are numerous, poisonous, the size of a pea or larger, shiny, bright red, stay on the plant for a long time, are few in the shade. Holly Mezerva has a number of interesting varieties that are valued, among other things, for their high frost resistance.

Holly whorled(I. verticillata). Deciduous, very decorative holly species. The branches of the whorled holly are covered with numerous orange fruits, which remain on the plant throughout the winter. The whorled holly is the most winter-hardy of all plant species. His homeland is northeastern North America.

Holly wrinkled(I. rugosa). Evergreen, low or creeping, non-hardy shrub up to 0.4 m in height. The wrinkled holly is not found in landscaping. It occurs naturally in mixed forests in the Far East, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Primorye, and Japan.

Colchis holly(I. colchica). In nature - a tree with drooping branches or a creeping shrub. In Central Russia it reaches 0.5 m in height. The leaves of the Colchis holly are leathery, toothed, thorny, very dark, green, the underside of the leaves is lighter. The plant freezes to the snow cover, but quickly recovers. The homeland of the Colchis holly is the Transcaucasus and Asia Minor.

Growing conditions
Hollows are shade-tolerant and hygrophilous, do not tolerate drought and high temperatures, and like cool places. Plants can suffer from the winter sun. Holly soils prefer well-drained, fertile, fresh to moist, acidic to slightly alkaline soils. Holly, or holly, grows poorly on heavy soils, loses winter hardiness.

Application
Evergreen holly (holly) are highly decorative plants that are very popular with gardeners. Holly plants are best planted in groups. Plants are used to create hedges. Shaped holly are perfect for French (regular) style gardens. It is worth noting that holly, or holly, thanks to its dark green jagged leaves and bright red fruits, is very popular in Europe as Christmas plants, from which festive wreaths, garlands, and various decorations are made.

Care
Hollows are moisture-loving, so in dry, hot seasons they need to be watered. Young plants can be seriously affected by early spring burns, so it is advisable to cover them in the spring. Variegated holly varieties can grow branches with normal green leaves, so they need to be removed periodically.

Reproduction
Holly reproduces vegetatively - by cuttings and layering. It is better to plant holly in early spring, adult plants do not like transplanting.

Diseases and pests
Holly is a resistant plant; under favorable conditions, the holly is not affected by diseases. A possible disease is late blight.

Popular varieties
Holly varieties Mezerva

‘Blue Angel’. Small compact dense upright shrub from 1.2 to 1.5 m in height and up to 2 m in width. In winter, the leaves turn almost black. The fruits are red, poisonous. It grows slowly.

‘Blue Prince’. Small or large, compact, conical shrub 2 to 4 m in height and 1 to 3 m in width. Leaves are almost black in winter. 'Blue Prince' is a male-only cultivar and therefore does not produce fruit (although it is an important pollinator for other species).

‘Blue Princess’. Small or large shrub 2 to 5 m in height and 2 to 3 m in width; openwork, conical, or broadly upright. Leaves are almost black in winter; fruits are light red, very poisonous. It grows slowly. Represented by female species.

Other varieties of holly Mezerva ‘Blue Maid’, ‘Golden Princess’.

Red, dark green, white. Traditional colors christmas wreaths in Europe. They are made from holly twigs, on which red berries are already ripening by this time. Usually austere adornment is given a sparkling look thanks to gold and silver of ornate ribbons, sequins and party bells.

European holly, in another way its name holly, Is an evergreen small tree common in European forests. It has a smooth light gray bark, a dense crown of a pyramidal regular shape, dark green shiny hard leaves, large toothed along the edge, and each tooth is elongated gracefully into a sharp thorn.

Holly blooms in summer, and its bright red fruits, sitting in dense groups on twigs, ripen just in time for the holiday - in December. The winter holly is very pleasing to the eye: against the gloomy background of withered grass and bare trees, there are shiny leaves and bright red, like varnished berries. It will completely replace the Christmas tree.

Holly attracted the attention of people since ancient times. Decorations from its branches were an indispensable attribute of Saturnalia, a holiday celebrated by the ancient Romans in mid-December and dedicated to Saturn. This god was considered the patron saint of agriculture, the harvest depended on him, which means the well-being of people throughout the year.

And the Romans sought to honor the gloomy Saturn as best as possible, decorating themselves and dedicated temples and statues with holly wreaths. Holly for the Celtic Druids was a very revered plant, after the oak, the second. And in winter, when the mighty forest giants fell asleep, throwing off the foliage, the holly, his younger brother, came to the fore.

The Druids timed their festivities to coincide with astronomical events, of which one was the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which falls on December 21 or 22. And beautifully dressed holly talked about the fact that the longest night of the year was left behind, daylight hours began to arrive and spring was soon approaching.

Mistletoe leaves with chlorophyll, so it does not completely depend on the owner. The appearance of the mistletoe is very colorful: in the crowns of trees you can see openwork "balls" clearly visible in winter, sometimes quite large up to a meter in diameter. From the place of their attachment to the branch of the tree, thin, green, forked branching branches with a few elongated oval leathery leaves extend in all directions.

Mistletoe flowers small, yellowish. Again, in winter, as in the holly, round, whitish, translucent berries ripen, in groups of 2-6 pieces sitting on the branches.

Druids also revered mistletoe as a magical plant. Specimens living on oak were especially "respected". They were supposed to be cut during a special ceremony. This could only be done by the high priest with the help of the golden sickle. Cut mistletoe in no case should she touch the ground, for this deprived her of magical powers. Among the Druids, mistletoe was considered a symbol of immortality, an antidote to most poisons.

The ancient Romans believed that it brought good luck. Mistletoe berries outwardly and in texture, they resemble droplets of male seed, therefore it was believed that it increased fertility. In medieval Europe, mistletoe was hung in homes to protect against evil spirits and witches. In some countries, there was a belief that it protects the house from fire and lightning, for it itself came from a lightning strike into a tree.

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe also has very ancient roots. Its occurrence can probably be explained by the fact that the plant was attributed to the property of increasing fertility, which means that it was used in wedding rituals. It is believed that kissing under the mistletoe was "invented" in Scandinavia, where peace treaties were thus concluded.

In German-Scandinavian mythology, there is a special story that can shed light on the origin of this tradition. In England, the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is purely romantic. A girl caught under a branch of this plant cannot refuse a kiss to anyone. Usually, such decorations are hung in the most visited places: above the lintel of the front door or under the chandelier in the center of the room.

In some counties of England, it was a tradition to burn the mistletoe, under which they kissed, on the twelfth night after Christmas, when all holiday decorations were removed before fasting. Violation of this rule threatened all who kissed on the current holidays under the mistletoe of celibacy. On the other hand, the mistletoe, which was not used for entertainment, had to remain in the house until next christmas... She was credited with protective properties.

On a note:

- For a long time, the crossandra was considered a very capricious, exclusively greenhouse plant. Not so long ago, a hybrid form of the funnel-shaped crossandra (C. infundibuliformis) 'Mono Wallhead', obtained in Sweden, appeared on the flower market.