The practice of bringing greenery and natural elements indoors during the winter months is a tradition that spans various cultures and centuries. This custom stems from a desire to celebrate life and hope during the darkest part of the year. Plants have long been intertwined with winter festivities, decorating homes and offering reminders of life’s resilience.
Traditional European Winter Greenery
The classic European greenery of holly, ivy, and mistletoe were adopted for winter celebrations long before modern holidays. These evergreen plants symbolized life’s continuation when the natural world appeared dormant. Holly, with its sharp leaves and bright red berries, was associated with protection. Early Roman and Celtic traditions involved bringing holly indoors to ward off misfortune.
Ivy, a climbing plant, represented interconnectedness, endurance, and eternal life due to its clinging growth habit and evergreen status. In ancient Rome, ivy was associated with Bacchus, the god of revelry, but its use was eventually incorporated into Christian decoration to symbolize the tenacity of life. Mistletoe, a parasitic plant that grows on the branches of host trees, was held as sacred by the Druids, who believed it symbolized fertility and the joining of heaven and earth.
The modern tradition of the “kissing ball” derives from mistletoe’s ancient association with peace and goodwill. Among the Druids, the plant was so revered that warring tribes would cease fighting upon finding it growing in the wild. A Norse myth later suggested the goddess Frigg declared the plant a symbol of love, promising a kiss to anyone passing beneath it.
The Evergreen Centerpiece
The modern Christmas tree, typically a large evergreen conifer, stands as the most globally recognized plant associated with the winter season. This tradition finds its roots in 16th-century Germany, where decorated trees were first adopted as a Christian custom. In the Middle Ages, evergreen trees, known as “paradise trees,” were used in religious plays to represent the Garden of Eden on the feast day of Adam and Eve.
These early trees were often decorated with apples, symbolizing the forbidden fruit, and wafers, representing the Eucharist. Over time, these displays evolved into decorated firs and spruces, with candles added to symbolize the stars in the night sky. The custom spread throughout Germany and was later popularized in the United Kingdom and the United States by German immigrants and royalty.
The most popular species used are various members of the fir, pine, and spruce genera, each chosen for specific characteristics. The Fraser Fir is a highly valued choice for its excellent needle retention, pleasant fragrance, and sturdy branches capable of holding heavy ornaments. The Nordmann Fir is prized in Europe for its soft needles and superior ability to retain them for many weeks, though it has a milder scent. Balsam Firs offer a very strong, classic pine scent, though their branches are less rigid. The Douglas Fir also provides a sweet fragrance and is widely available.
Indoor Blooming Plants of the Holiday Season
A different class of plants became synonymous with the holiday season due to their natural bloom time and commercial success. The Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is the most commercially dominant indoor plant of the season, originating from the tropical dry forests of Mexico. Historically, the Aztecs used its red bracts for dye and its milky sap for medicinal purposes, calling it cuetlaxochitl.
Its association with the holidays began in the 17th century when Franciscan friars used the plant to decorate Nativity scenes because it naturally bloomed in December. The red and green coloring comes from modified leaves called bracts, not true flowers, which change color in response to shorter daylight hours. The plant was introduced to the United States in the 1820s by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, and was later named in his honor.
The Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) is another common holiday plant, distinct from its desert-dwelling relatives as it is a tropical epiphyte native to the Brazilian rainforests. This plant is a short-day bloomer, meaning it requires long periods of uninterrupted darkness, typically 12 to 14 hours per night, and cooler temperatures to set its buds. By mimicking these conditions, cultivators can prompt the plant to produce its vibrant, tubular flowers just in time for the December celebrations.