On the Fifth Day of Yule - Holly

Pagans held evergreen plants sacred and decorated their homes with them over the Yule period.  There are three evergreen plants in particular; Holly, Mistletoe and Ivy. Each of these plants have their own meaning but together they represent the essence of Yule  – a time of rebirth and renewal, a season of promise and hope. Decorating your home with these plants will not only look fantastic, but will also serve as reminders of this Yule theme… taking us back to ancient times and ancient ways. As we await the return of the sun, the magical powers of the holly and the ivy, along with that of the mistletoe bring illumination into our own inner awareness.

Holly was the sacred plant of Saturn and was used at the Roman Saturnalia festival to honour him. Romans gave one another holly wreaths and carried them about decorating images of Saturn with it. Centuries later, in December, while other Romans continued their pagan worship, Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus . To avoid persecution, they decked their homes with Saturnalia holly. As Christian numbers increased and their customs prevailed, holly lost its pagan association and became a symbol of Christmas.

The Druids believed that holly, with its shiny leaves and red berries stayed green to keep the earth beautiful when the sacred oak lost it leaves. They wore sprigs of holly in their hair when they went into the forest to watch their priests cut the sacred mistletoe.

The plant has come to stand for peace and joy, people often settle arguments under a holly tree.  It was also believed that the holly was a symbol of good luck and a place for the god fairies to play.  Holly is believed to frighten off witches and protect the home from thunder and lightning. In West England it is said sprigs of holly around a young girl's bed on Christmas Eve are suppose to keep away mischievous little goblins. It apparently brings about sweet dreams too so another good reason to hang it around your bed!   The English also mention the "he holly and the she holly" as being the determining factor in who will rule the household in the following year, the "she holly" having smooth leaves and the "he holly" having prickly ones.  All of these references give light to "decking the halls with boughs of holly."

Adapted from
thehistoryofchristmas.com