Christmas holly: origin, tradition and curiosities

The holly It is a shrub with evergreen and thorny leaves, and red fruit that usually sold and given away at Christmas. Same as him mistletoe It is typical of the Christmas holidays, both to decorate and to give to those who want to wish good omens. It is also left on the doors of houses to protect the home.

The origin of its name comes from the Latin, and is formed by acer, acre and acerbus, which means acre, attending to its flavor, and tough when we refer to the shape of its leaves. In Europe we find the common holly, and in Spain, we can see it in the communities of Aragon and Catalonia naturally and in the Valencian Community.

It is noteworthy that reach 10 meters in height but has a very slow growth. The size of the leaves can be oval or narrow. The fruits, as we have mentioned, are red. It is necessary to focus attention on these fruits, because they are not eaten, becoming toxic.

Origin of Christmas Holly

The tradition of decorating the house with holly and seeing it as a symbol of good omen dates back to the Romans. Well they held parties in honor of the god of agriculture, and holly is given to attract luck.

Hence we must also emphasize the Celts, who considered the holly as a magic tree. They made crowns based on holly branches that also served to protect themselves from evil spirits. During Christianity these beliefs expanded and they moved to much more religious festivals. For the red fruits were identified with the blood of Christ, while the pointy leaves were the crown of thorns.

From that moment, the plant has been identified with various liturgical cycles, being at Christmas a period of celebration and general renewal. This is why it is common to decorate the houses.

Some curiosities

In the United States and Latin America, and also in other European countries, it is traditional that if two people agree under the mistletoe, and in this case, with the holly, they should kiss to attract good luck, based on fertility and prosperity.

In certain countries, holly is seen as a sacred shrub and is said to scare away evil spirits. Hence, it is also planted in cemeteries while in other countries it was traditional to use the holly branches to clean the chimney. With it, the evil spirits were also moved away and the house was protected.

Other uses of the holly plant

Holly has had other uses, beyond religious beliefs and its Christmas decoration. The fruit was used as a purgative; the root and bark acted as an emollient, and the Indian tribes of America also used it to cure diseases. And the holly leaves are diuretic. Holly wood is strong and is often used to make frames.

Holly types

Holly: shrub or small tree, perennial, slow growing, which exceeds 10 m. Tall. The wild specimens are protected by law both in their start and in the cutting of branches.
Canary Holly: we find it in Madeira and the Canary Islands and can reach 15 m. Its leaves usually lack thorns.
Horned holly: it is usually rounded and reaches three meters in height.
Ilex crenata: of oriental origin, has a compact shape.
Ilex x altaclarensis: hybrid, very vigorous with many red fruits.
Ilex dipyrena: upright tree with 12 m height. The leaves lose their thorns over time.

Cultivation and reproduction

Holly is an outdoor plant that can adapt to different types of soil. It usually develops better in cold and humid climates, in semi-shade areas. The natural acebedas have been very reduced by the action of the human being, due to which the holly is a protected species. We find it in forests of beech, pine or oak. It is recommended that, when buying an holly, it comes from crops. ThemesChristmas