Holly and its Pagan and Christian Significance

In a pre-Christian era holly's affirmation of life in death gave it a religious significance. At the dead moment of the year, the druids were said to deck their shrines with it as a symbol of rebirth, and during the Roman festival of Saturnalia, which was close in date to Chritsmas, people sent gifts to their families and friends with sprays of holly.Christians were unable to resist the pagan attachment to the tree so they simply entwined the the evergreen foliage into their own rituals. Yet if one looks at the constituents parts of holly it seems designed as a Christian symbol. The red of the berries evoke the blood of Christ, the white flowers suggest his virgin birth and the prickly leaves, his crown of thorns.Holly wood was eventually incorporated to the cross itself, and holly saplings were said to have sprung up wherever Christ's feet touched the earth. Small wonder that we still decorate our homes and churches with those indestructibly green leaves.