Before the Winter Solstice morphed into Christmas and Christmas became the brilliantly lit celebration we have today, our ancestors fed their craving for light with huge ceremonial bonfires in winter fire festivals.
In dwellings, a large Yule log was burnt in fireplaces and after the leaping flames had brightened the dark days, the ashes were spread as fertilizer on fields.
In ancient Europe, evergreen branches were brought inside to give wood spirits a refuge from bone-chilling winter gales. These included holly and ivy.
Ivy was once regarded as a multitasker of a plant: said to relieve toothache, protect against sorcery, relieve fertility problems and to be the base of an intoxicating drink. The leaves were believed to be narcotic. It was banned in churches.
Holly was laden with even more meaning. The raw berries are poisonous but a tea from the leaves was believed to be a tonic and chilblains were said to vanish if the feet were beaten with holly branch. (There is a similar belief about nettles).
Meanwhile, for Christians, holly was so rich with symbolism that it was originally called the Holy Tree. The evergreen leaves represent eternal life and the prickles the crown of thorns. The red berries are a reminder of the crucifixion.
In the garden, holly on the walls of a house is said to protect against evil spirits. Holly heavily laden with berries is believed to predict a hard, cold winter. In the fall, desperately hungry bears will try eating holly berries. In January when berries soften, squirrels and birds will almost strip the tree.
Mistletoe also gathered a flock of beliefs as a general healer that extinguishes fires, opens locks, prevents nightmares and protects against sorcery and thunder storms. As a fertility symbol, it was apparently popular in summer solstice festivities.
At Christmas time, it was part of a kissing bough in which evergreens and mistletoe were hung with fruit and little presents. Theres a superstition that couples kissing under the mistletoe will quarrel within the year unless the mistletoe is burnt on Twelfth Night (Jan. 6).
More recently, poinsettias were linked with Christmas after U.S. ambassador Joel Poinsett introduced them into the U.S. in 1825. Poinsettia is a euphorbia, which grows to 3.6 metres in its native land and has to be cleared from roadsides regularly in Mexico.
For many centuries, the Aztec people used it for ceremonies. They saw the bracts as a symbol of purity and the whole tree as a gift from the gods. Poinsettias were used to dye clothing and the white sap was a fever medicine.
Sometimes poinsettias are called the Flower of the Holy Night because they bloom during December and are used in nativity celebrations. Catholic priests tell the story of a poor Mexican girl who was heartbroken that she had no gift to lay on the altar of the Virgin and baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.
An angel appeared and told her to gather weeds. The girl brought her weeds to the altar and suddenly brilliant red bracts flowered from every stem. Theres a similar story from Europe about a child, an angel and a Christmas rose.
This column goes out today with wishes to you all for a Merry Christmas and many blessings in the New Year.
Anne Marrison is happy to answer garden questions. Send them to her via [email protected].
