Traditions and Trivia: Holly and Ivy

Holly and Ivy are a staple of Christmas decorations, put up around homes and businesses.

The plants have older pagan meanings, but would only be brought into the house at Christmas and not before. To do so was considered bad luck.

“In pagan times, Holly was thought to be a male plant and Ivy a female plant. An old tradition from the Midlands of England says that whatever one was brought into the house first over winter, tells you whether the man or woman of the house would rule that year,” states whychristmas.com

As for the Christian interpretation, the prickly leaves of the holly represent the crown of thorns, while the red berries represent the blood Christ shed for our sins.

For ivy, the vine's need to cling to solid support represents the need people have of God's support in life.