Holly
Holly is an evergreen and in early times represented eternal life and promise of the return of spring. Its prickles deter grazing by deer and rabbits and so provide a valuable shelter and food source for birds. Because of its reliability as a source of green through the winter Celts and druids regarded it as good luck, a protector from evil spirits. Often grown near homes, they also thought it was a protector against lightning. It was unlucky to cut them down.
They were a key feature in the celebration of winter solstice and the Roman celebration of Saturnalia.
Early Christians decorated their homes with holly at Christmas like their Roman neighbours but for them it represented everlasting life with God.
By the late middle ages English Heritage records that almost all surviving church records include the purchase of holly and ivy in the winter.
John Stow, historian of 16th Century, found an account of 1444 that in London “Every man’s house and parish church was decked with holme, ivie, bayes and whatever the season of the year afforded to be green”.
The Wreath (old Eng. ‘writhen’ = to writhe or twist)
The Romans had long used evergreen wreaths to crown Olympic victors and for Christians it represents eternity and the everlasting promise of life in Christ – Christ’s life, death and resurrection.
The prickles can be seen as Christ’s crown of thorns and the berries his blood.
By 16thC Lutherans were using holly wreaths but not until Queen Victoria adopted the Christmas traditions of her German husband did wreaths appear on English front doors.
Today they appear in Church, lain flat and bedecked with 4 candles to be lit in turn through the 4 Sundays of Advent, for hope, peace, joy and love, with the central one representing Christ and lit on Christmas day along with the others.
So, as you proudly pin your holly wreath to your front door you can remember the core Christian themes of love, sacrifice, hope and protection.
I hope that you too will be filled with joy even as you see a sneaky robin nicking the berries!!
Suenna Harley