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Bringing holly indoors for more than beauty

2008 December 18
by kmr

Originally published December 19, 2008

By Ken Moore
Staff Writer

When I was a youngster, bringing holly branches indoors for its seasonal beauty just seemed like the thing to do.

Now, because of protective land owners and deer hunters, it is difficult, if not downright dangerous, to attempt, like in the old days, to collect a few holly branches from the local woods. Heavily red-berried branches of American holly, Ilex opaca, bring premium prices at local markets. Some folks are fortunate to have specimens of this common forest tree growing on their property, in which case the season is just right for a little judicious pruning to share with friends and neighbors for indoor decoration.

How well I remember one special Christmas when my Dad and I cut a little holly tree from my aunt’s farm, thinking it would be a nice change from the traditional red cedar tree. We felt so proud in decorating that little tree that sparkled through the holidays, and I still feel sad remembering my Mom, from the holly-barren Midwest, lamenting that, “It just didn’t seem like Christmas, because we didn’t have a ‘real’ tree.”

Way back then, I had no notion about how special holly is; I didn’t know that throughout the world evergreen species of holly are revered as sacred trees. Holly legends are legend themselves. Christian symbolism includes references to the spiny-leaved holly branches being the “crown of thorns” of Christ, whose blood colored the berries red. One story describes a little shepherd boy feeling sad that he had only a holly branch to offer the Christ child. When the baby Jesus touched that holly branch, the berries turned a beautiful red. The strong holly-tree wood is credited with being used for the cross of Christ, which adds more complexity to the Christian religious heritage.

Alternatively, the Romans used gifts of holly as good-luck charms during Saturnalia festivities and, during that time, Christians were forbidden to decorate with holly.

The ancient Druids and other early Europeans considered the holly very sacred and brought branches indoors as protection against witches and evil spirits. Friendly forest elves and fairies were believed to inhabit the evergreen limbs of holly and were thus provided warmth and comfort inside dwellings during the cold winter solstice period.

There are countless holly legends. Whichever ones may speak to your personal feelings, take pause during this season when you bring that holly indoors and consider it special, a symbol of warmth, protection and a connection with the natural world.

We are fortunate to have so many hollies in our natural and planted landscapes. One sentinel-like specimen is that 200-plus-year-old male holly standing tall in the remnant forest grove of the UNC campus, between Franklin Street and South Building. That holly provides the pollen for the berry-producing younger female hollies scattered nearby. There is another 200-plus-year-old sentinel male holly that the Town of Carrboro hopes to preserve at the Homestead Road entrance to the future fire station.

Carve out a little time during your busy schedules to take a “closer look” at holly and reflect on its rich heritage. And on your walks about, keep a keen eye out for some other old hollies standing quietly in our midst.

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