Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2014/January 2015 | Page 58

Planting
a kiss at

T

hey are very much a part of Christmas
tradition, but why do we deck the
halls with holly and kiss under the
mistletoe at this time of year? As you prepare
for the festive season, here’s an insight into
why we put greenery - holly, mistletoe and
ivy in particular - around the house.
They were originally used in preChristian times to help
celebrate the Winter
Solstice Festival, to
ward off evil spirits
and celebrate new
growth. When
Christianity arrived
in Western Europe,
some people
wanted to keep

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Christmas

the greenery, to give it Christian meanings,
but also to ban the use of it to decorate
homes. However, Britain and Germany led
the way to keep the use of the greenery as
decorations.
Prickly holly leaves are said to represent
the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when
he was crucified. The berries are the drops
of blood that were shed by Jesus
because of the thorns.
In pagan times, holly was
thought to be a male
plant and ivy a female
plant. One old English
tradition suggested
that which ever one
was brought into the
house first over winter
indicated whether the
man or woman of the
house would rule that

year! But it was unlucky to bring either into
a house before Christmas Eve.
Because mistletoe remains green
throughout the year, it was regarded as a
plant with magical healing powers and
fertility. The association between mistletoe
and fertility is thought to have started the
custom of kissing under mistletoe, and was
eventually extended to wedding ceremonies.
Victorian England also adopted the ‘kissing’
tradition, and if a girl refused a kiss while
standing under mistletoe, it was said that
she wouldn't receive any marriage proposals
during the following year. Many people also
avoided her because they believed she would
probably end up an old maid!
It is traditional to take down the
decorations after Twelfth Night January
5, on Epiphany, January 6. But during the
middle ages, greenery including mistletoe
was often left hanging up until early
February!