"The Road that leads to Christmas
Is lined with memory
Of holly wreaths and candles
And days that used to be."

Hilda Butler Farr

As we head toward Christmas I wanted to share with you some interesting facts about a few of our Christmas plants. Every year we decorate with wreaths, trees, holly, mistletoe and poinsettias. Have you ever wondered why these plants in particular have become our traditional trimmings? As you decorate, this year will be different because I'm going to share with you why we use these plants. Some is fact; some is folklore that turned into tradition.

The first plant is mistletoe. The plant has a long and sordid past. To ancient pagans and the druids, this was a sacred plant, because it grew without roots and they believed mistletoe was a sacred gift from the gods, just dropped from heaven. In the not-so distant past, mistletoe regained its place among the plants at Christmas due to the pioneers in Oklahoma in 1889. They noticed mistletoe in full bloom, growing thick and hanging from trees in winter. This was a beautiful sight after what they had just endured. It became their inspiration, symbolizing survival, hardiness and endurance. In winter it was often the only greenery available to put on the graves of loved ones or to decorate at weddings. In 1893, mistletoe became the official flower for the Oklahoma Territory and then went on to be the official state flower. The meaning of mistletoe is, "I surmount all difficulties." We use mistletoe as a fun decoration for romance because it often gives that certain someone the opportunity to express affection that he or she would not otherwise have the courage to do. Remember the berries are poisonous.

We decorate with wreaths because they represent the circle of life. Christmas wreaths are made from many different evergreens. They include pine, balsam, fir and cypress. Different holly tree varieties are also used. Their red berries symbolize the blood Christ shed for us. Holly symbolizes eternal life. In the popular Charles Dickens classic, "A Christmas Carol", the ghost of Christmas past held a branch of fresh holly. The ghost of Christmas present wore a holly wreath. A wreath formed of natural materials is all the more meaningful because it weaves nature into the spiritual circle of life – a circle with no beginning and no end. Wreaths have dated back to very ancient times to represent victory and high honor; the very way a golden crown of royalty represented power, authority and honor. The Advent wreath is a Lutheran custom from Germany that symbolizes God's eternal love and mercy. Green is the church's color for new life and hope that the birth of the Christ child brings to the world. Another form of a wreath was worn at his crucifixion. Although the crown of thorns was a cruel insult, it could also represent the wisdom and honor of a common man whose life became a guide for us to live by.

Like the wreath, trees represent "life." Evergreens were used because they continued to grow even in the dead of winter. Our modern Christmas tree originated in the eighth century in Germany. In 1539, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Strasborg displayed its first Christmas tree decorated with paper flowers, cookies, fruits and nuts. Martin Luther is said to have put the first candles on a Christmas tree to represent and to teach others that Jesus was the "light of the world." He was to get this idea after walking home on a wintry night and was awestruck by the brilliant stars in the sky with a backdrop of evergreen trees.

The poinsettia is called "La Flor de Nachebuena" or "The Flower of the Holy Night." It is native to Mexico and was cultivated by the Aztecs for its brilliant red color, which symbolized purity to them. It also had practical uses and was used as a medicine to reduce fever. During the 17th century a group of Franciscan priests used the poinsettia as part of their Nativity celebration because it symbolized purity and it bloomed during the Advent season. The first poinsettias came to the United States from Joel Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in 1825. He had noticed the brilliant color of the plant during a visit to Taxco during the Christmas season and called it, "the plant with painted leaves." Because Poinsett was a botanist, he had some of the flowers sent to his plantation in Greenville, South Carolina. As he cultivated them, he shared them with friends and their popularity grew throughout the United States. The true botanical name for poinsettia is "Euphorbia pulcherrima." It's common name, poinsettia, is named after Ambassador Poinsett. These plants like bright light and moist, but not soggy soil. When choosing your poinsettias look at the yellow flowers in the center. If they are just slightly opened, this tells you the bracts (the red leaves) are fresh.

As I researched information over the past few weeks, I had a lot of fun reading the folklore and history. I shared with you mostly facts brought down through many generations. As you've learned I hope you pass this on along with your traditions.