What is special about holly trees?
Festive, neat and prickly. Holly is a well-loved shrub that shelters birds and gives hedgehogs a cosy place to hibernate. White flowers with four petals bloom in early spring. Female flowers develop into rich red berries, which remain on the tree throughout winter. Holly’s reputation as a magical tree goes back to the Druids, who considered holly a sacred tree and used holly wood for magic wands. Wands made of holly wood possessed the ability to banish unwelcome spirits and command one’s bidding.Romans used holly to ward off lightning strikes, and they often included it as a decoration when giving gifts. Druids hallowed the evergreen plant, appreciating its greenness in the drab winter landscape. To them, holly became a hair ornament and outdoor home decoration that offered woodland fairies a place of shelter.Holly is associated with Christmas because it symbolises protection, eternal life, and the blood of Christ, making it a powerful emblem of the season’s religious significance.
What does a holly tree symbolize?
Ancient Druids believed the tree possessed protective qualities and would place it in homes or bathe babies in water from the leaves for protection. Ancient Romans saw the holly tree as a symbol of good luck and fashioned wreaths out of the leaves to give to newlyweds. Holly trees have protected people in many cultures through the ages. Druids saw these trees as sacred beings with amazing protective powers. People in Britain and Ireland planted holly trees and hedges around their homes to shield against witchcraft and evil spirits.Holly trees aren’t fussy when it comes to choosing a planting spot in your garden. They are a tolerant variety and will do well in most locations, from partial shade to full sun. They also accept most soil types, as long as the ground isn’t waterlogged. They do prefer a well-draining, slightly acidic soil type.As one of Britain’s most common native trees, holly has been used by furniture makers for centuries. Its dense and finely-textured wood was popular in decorative marquetry and inlay work, and as the whitest wood it can also be easily stained.The Old Irish Tree List, dating from the eight century, included holly as Class 1 (of 4 classes). These are the ‘Nobles of the Wood’ and the most prominent in terms of individual sacred trees.
What is the myth of holly?
In another Christian myth, a holly bush sprouted leaves with thorns to hide and protect baby Jesus from King Herod’s men. As goes the myth, Jesus reciprocated the deed by making the holly an evergreen. In nature, holly affords shelter to birds and small mammals during cold winter months and through harsh snowstorms. In Christianity, holly was adopted as a symbol of Christ’s crown of thorns, the crimson berries a symbol of his blood and the evergreen a metaphor for life after death. The tradition of decking the halls with boughs of holly at Christmas continues today.
Why is holly so special?
Holly is an iconic evergreen that’s been used for centuries and across the globe for winter festivals, and that’s probably because, in the dead of winter, it’s one of the few things that actually looks alive. Outside of the Christmas period, it was thought unlucky to bring holly into the house – a superstition that could be found throughout Britain. If you used holly to sweep a chimney, it was a sure sign of bringing bad luck into the house, as was cutting down a holly tree.