Lifestyle

Deck the Halls

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With Christmas upon us, BENEDICT VANHEEMS explores some of the folklore and tradition behind our favourite festive plants and offers some growing tips

Can you imagine Christmas without the glow of a decadently dressed tree, or a stolen kiss beneath the mistletoe? Would there be that same fizz of excitement if the holly and the ivy or that fiery warmth of the poinsettia were missing? I suspect not. It seems that plants have become a surprisingly integral part of our celebrations at this festive time, even in these days of tinsel and foil.

Many centuries ago celebrations evolved to welcome the winter solstice and embrace the long, slow process of days lengthening once again

The use of greenery goes back longer than you might think; indeed many of these plants, including the ivy, have long forgotten pagan undertones. Christmas comes at a time of gloom and darkness and it’s no coincidence that the date of this feast is set during such a dank period in the natural calendar. Many centuries ago celebrations evolved to welcome the winter solstice and embrace the long, slow process of days lengthening once again. These pagan celebrations were occurring long before Christianity arrived to our misty shores. The Romans, for example, took to it with gusto, indulging in an orgy of feasting, drinking, boisterous frolics and outright debauchery. They would decorate their homes with greenery and lights, while presenting green wreaths as gifts. When Christianity finally gained a foothold in the third century it was decided that the date of Christmas should be set as 25 December to distract pagan celebrants from all this far-from-Christian excess.

The transition from pagan to Christian was far from smooth, however. Pagan practices, interspersed with Christmas jollies, saw the straight-laced Puritans forbid any celebration of Christmas. Indeed, they were such killjoys that the 25th was ruled an ordinary working day! It wasn’t until the Restoration that Christmas celebrations again returned, although in truth they never really went away in the first place. Over in the United States it took a while for the…

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