
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, December 23, 1993                   TAG: 9312220016
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV10   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Joe Hunnings
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

EVERGREENS HAVE HISTORY OF SEASONAL HOLIDAY USE

Traditionally, evergreen plants have played an important role in our Christmas customs. Mistletoe, fir, juniper and holly are used at Christmas because they retain their foliage color during the winter. In ancient times, these plants held symbolic and religious significance and were integral parts of pagan religious ceremonies.

\ MISTLETOE: The Druids were one of the earliest civilizations to worship mistletoe. When European mistletoe grew on their scared and powerful symbol, the oak, they believed the two together made powerful medicine.

The word mistletoe literally means "all heal." The twigs, when hung over doorways and made into bracelets and rings, were supposed to protect against evil fits, witches' apoplexy, tremors, consumption and other dread diseases.

Modern scientists have found mistletoe may actually be valuable in treating high blood pressure, diseases of the circulatory system and even cancer.

The "kissing ball," a ball of evergreens and mistletoe suspended from a ceiling, was the center of Christmas festivity during the Elizabethan period in England.

\ FIR: The fir tree has been worshipped in some cultures as the "tree of life." The fir of folklore could have been the silver fir (Abies alba), the Siberian spruce (Picea obovata), or the Norway spruce (Picea abies). In one legend, Saint Wilfred chopped down a sacred Druid oak to convince Christian converts it had no power to harm them. Inside the oak he found a young fir growing, which he declared a symbol of holiness and peace.

It is believed that a festival held in the Harz Mountains of Germany was the beginning of our Christmas tree tradition. During the celebration, young girls danced and sang songs in a circle around a special fir they had decorated with lighted candles, flowers and eggs. The girls' dance imprisoned an imp who lived in the fir; if he could not escape, he was forced to give presents or secrets to the girls. This imp may have been the ancestor of our Santa Claus.

\ JUNIPER: Juniper has been called the "tree of sanctuary" from the legend that it once sheltered the Holy Family as they fled from Herod. Under old European tradition, juniper greens were hung above doors to keep out witches, who were bound by the devil's law to count all juniper needles before entering a house. The legend holds that the witches became bored and searched for unprotected dwellings.

\ HOLLY: English holly (Ilex aquifolium) was used by the Druids to celebrate the winter solstice. English folklore instructed maidens to place holly sprigs at their bedsides on Christmas Eve to protect against witches, goblins and devils.

\ ROSEMARY: Rosemary has one of the nicest of the Christmas legends. It is said that the flowers of rosemary were originally white, but the Virgin Mary laid her blue cloak upon the fragrant branches one day, and the flowers took on the soft, clear-blue color of her garment.

Until the 20th century, rosemary was a popular Christmas evergreen, right up there with holly and mistletoe. A gilded rosemary sprig was a treasured gift. Why it fell out of favor is a mystery, but it is starting to make a comeback with the use of rosemary in holiday wreaths and rosemary topiaries as small Christmas trees.

In these commercialized times, perhaps the use of rosemary, which symbolizes remembrance, can help us to remember the true meaning of our Christmas holiday.

\ Joe Hunnings is the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service agent for agriculture in Christiansburg. If you have questions, call the Montgomery County extension office at 382-5790.

by CNB