The holiday season is once again upon us. We have waited all year to comb through and disentangle the not so carefully packed and stored away décor of our past years’ collections of favorite trimmings and ornamentation. It's a time when we have to determine what must be replaced or discarded while preserving our most cherished and treasured cache whether new or heirlooms from the past. The holiday plants, shrubbery, and vines that we turn to each year have surprising and interesting lore and traditions from ancient times that make them special and unique for this time of celebration. Why do we use these particular plants, and why have they become popular?

The history of many of these plants may be as interesting as the plants themselves…whose idea was it to decorate trees, to hang wreaths, or regard the poinsettia as a Christmas bloom?

What we know is that Pagans displayed evergreen branches to brighten their homes in those dreary months and as a reminder that spring would come again. And the Romans placed the branches and greenery around their temples to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture.

Below is a list of common holiday traditions involving plants and trees and their surprising origins.

THE CHRISTMAS TREES

Evergreen fir trees are universal winter decorations, and many theories abound as to their actual beginnings. What would Christmas be without a tree? Why do we adorn and bedeck trees?

The Germans claim to have established the tree tradition with several cities proclaiming the honor for themselves, each declaring that they are indeed the true home of the first Christmas tree. Apparently, the first recorded tradition of decorating a tree was in 1604 in Strasburg, Germany, creating a symbol of everlasting life, a central gathering place for families to assemble for prayer, celebration, and merriment.

It has been said that German theologian and religious reformer, Martin Luther, walking home on a winter night was so entranced with the beauty of the evergreens, he cut one down, brought it home and decorated it with candles… initiating a Christian concept.

The custom was brought to the United States by German immigrants and Hessian soldiers who fought for the British against the American colonists. When news spread that Queen Victoria had her German husband, Prince Albert, set up a Christmas tree in their palace, the practice suddenly became the height of Christmas symbolism in England and the United States.

Though it took a while to forget how the custom began with non-Christian pagans, the Christmas tree tradition finally became widely accepted in this country in the early-20th century.

WREATHS

Hanging wreaths became a popular custom in 16th century Germany, in acknowledgement of an ancient Greek ceremonial practice of victorious athletes wearing woven wreaths as crowns, the symbols of the never ending circle of life and the promise of a spring re-birth to pagans celebrating the winter solstice.

Evergreen wreaths adorned with boughs of holly in a circular shape represented eternal life. The Christians subsequently adapted the advent wreath used to count down the number of days until the birth of Christ.

The wreaths of today are crafted in many designs and motifs and decorated in selections of styles from flowers to fruit to glass balls and ribbons, epitomizing a more secular tradition.

CHRISTMAS CACTUS

A story taken from the traditional folklore of Brazil tells of a poor boy in the humid jungle who prayed to the heavens for a sign of Christmas. He prayed day after day with no results until Christmas morning, when he awakened to discover beautiful bursts of colorful blooms on the tips of the cacti branches.

He knew that his prayers had been answered. And so another Christmas legend was born and today this stunning display of beauty continues to be seen as a symbol of answered prayers.

THE POINSETTIA

The poinsettia has become an iconic symbol of the holiday season. Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, a United States Ambassador to Mexico in the 1800s, discovered the flowering plants on plantations in rural regions. Fascinated with their unusual beauty, Dr. Poinsett brought back samples of these impressive specimen and upon retirement grew them as gifts for friends and family members while also donating untold numbers to botanical gardens.

The poinsettia has evolved into a distinctive representation of the Christmas holiday with its festive form and meaningful colors. The shape of the bloom is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, the red poinsettia reminds us of the blood of Christ, while the white poinsettia denotes the purity of Christ.

THE NIGHT OF THE RADISHES

On December 23, in Oaxaca, Mexico, the locals host an annual event known as Noche de Rabanos, that translates to “the night of the radishes.” This celebration has its origins in the colonial period of Mexico when the conquering Spanish introduced a variety of oversized radishes.

The farmers and native Oaxacans have had a long history of wood carving and quite naturally began carving these enormous radishes to attract customers’ attention at the Christmas market, held each year in the main square. In the Colonial period, the radishes were carved with religious themes, and customers began buying them to create centerpieces for their Christmas dinner table.

In 1897, a tradition began with a formal competition of creating scenes and figures with the carved radishes for prizes in various categories. As the city of Oaxaca grew, the event also grew to where there are now hundreds of contestants and thousands of fascinated and curious visitors.

Since the radishes wilt soon after cutting, the displays can only be shown for a short period of time causing long lines of sightseers wishing to view these remarkable works. As the popularity of the festival has grown, the city has had to lay aside land dedicated to the growing of the radishes for the event, supervising the growth, harvesting and distribution to the competitors.

The radish crops are heavily fertilized and chemically treated and left in the ground long after the normal harvest to encourage monumental sizes and shapes. Some of the radishes have been reported to be over nineteen inches in length and six pounds in weight.

Over the years the religious themes have mostly been replaced with carvings of people, animals, snowmen, and monsters.

Other Plants for the Holidays

Ivy leaves symbolize eternity and resurrection
Olive branches denote peace in the coming year
Cattail, pomegranates, and wheat sheaves represent prosperity and plenty

Fun Facts about Christmas Trees

Each year, nearly thirty-five million real trees are sold in the U.S.
Seventy-seven percent of U.S. households display trees
There are twenty-one thousand Christmas tree growers in the U.S.
The trees are grown for fifteen years before harvesting
The first Christmas tree lot was opened in New York in 1851
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree tradition began in 1931
The most popular trees are fir, spruce, pine, and balsam