During the holidays there are a number of festive plants and flowers around to celebrate Christmas. One of the most common is the Christmas wreath. You can find these hanging on doors and inside the house.
The tradition of the Christmas wreath dates back to hundreds of years ago. People would use the wreath during celebrations for the winter solstice. Evergreen is traditionally used as this stays green through the winter months. It is a sign of growth and that spring is to come. Within Christian traditions it is seen as a sign of eternity. The wreath has no beginning and no end. It is a welcoming sign in the holidays.
Mistletoe is another symbol of Christmas. Most people know mistletoe is famous for kissing. If you find yourself standing underneath mistletoe with someone the tradition is to share a Christmas kiss. It is a sign of love and friendship which is why people associate mistletoe with kissing. In the medieval times people believed that it would keep away evil spirts and so they would hang it around their homes. At the end of Christmas the mistletoe would be burnt.
Holly and Ivy are both used as decorations and were also used to celebrate the winter solstice. In Christianity holly represents the crown of thorns worn by Jesus, the red berries symbolise the blood that was spilled.
Another plant you will spot during the festive period is the poinsettia. This is used widely during Christmas time because of its large red and green foliage. It is known as ‘The Christmas Plant’. The shape of the plant is sometimes thought of as a symbol of the star of Bethlehem.
As beautiful as festive plants and flowers are they cannot stay up in our homes forever. There are 12 days of Christmas, starting from the 24th of December, Christmas Eve. The 5th of January is the last day of Christmas and so it is seen as bad luck to keep your Christmas plants up past this date.
Luckily the festive period is only just starting so we have plenty of time to admire all the beauty Christmas has to offer.