In this article we will focus on a very typical plant of the period, namely holly. A plant rich in history and curiosity.
Holly is one of the Christmas plants that decorate houses: but do you know what meaning it has? Find out with us!
Holly is a spontaneous shrub: it has dark green leaves that can have different intensities and streaks. The element that distinguishes it most are its bright red berries. These make it a plant whose iconography is famous throughout the world.
Not everyone knows that holly has always been considered a magical plant. There is in fact an ancient custom that suggests planting holly right near the entrance to your home to keep evil spirits away. The pungent leaves of holly were considered the best weapons for remove all evil presences. Starting from this element, holly was subsequently considered a good-luck plant. In fact, in the Roman period it was generally given to newlyweds as a sign of good luck for their new life as a couple.
This positive element of holly has remained unchanged over the centuries and has been linked to Christmas. But who were the first to use it during the Christmas period? It seems that the tradition derives from Ireland, precisely on Oscar Wilde's island this plant began to be used to embellish homes for Christmas. Subsequently the custom spread throughout Europe.
In the Scandinavian countries there is an ancient legend that tells of the birth of the holly. The God Odin had a son to whom he was very close, his name was Baldur. During a battle he was seriously wounded by a dart. When he was hit he collapsed on a holly tree and expired. Odin wanted to pay homage to this plant that had welcomed the blood of his dying son: he decided to transform it into an evergreen plant and give it many red berries to remember the heroic sacrifice made by his son. Precisely the intervention of the god Odin gave this "magical" element to the shrub which remained linked to the holly plant as a plant bringing good omens.
Even in the Christian religion, holly has a very strong metaphorical meaning. The leaves are the symbol of the thorns that surrounded Jesus' head and the red berries recall the blood shed on the cross and the rebirth after death. Bringing it to the table during the Christmas period means remembering the sacrifice of Jesus and offering our loved ones a well-wishing thought for the Christmas holidays and the new year!
Are you looking for a last minute gift with a guaranteed impact? You still have time! Visit the page with all the our Christmas floral offer and find the right flower for you. We wish all our customers a happy Christmas and a wonderful new year from all the Faxiflora staff.