Welcome to brain Stuff from how Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff, I'm Lauren vogel Bomb. And during the Christmas season, Polly adorn's houses all over the world. The prickly green plant in its red berries, whether real or crafted from plastic, are popular ornament for anyone wanting to make their space a little more festive. But where did this tradition begin? Why do we deck our halls with bows of holly every December? What does holly represent in the celebration of Christmas?
Despite its association with the Christmas season, holly did not get its name from holy. The name of the plant is very similar across both Germanic and Latin languages, and its origin is probably the Proto Indo European root word kell, which appropriately means prickly or to prick, Proto Indo European being the ancient based language of all Indo European languages. Even in ancient times, people took advantage of the sharp ends of holly's leaves. Druids hung it on windows and
doorways to fend off evil, which is in spirits. Before holly was hung in houses to accompany Christmas trees, it was considered to be a sacred plant by the Druids. While other plants wilted in winter weather, holly remained green and strong, its berries of brightly colored red and the harshest of conditions. The Druids regarded holly as a symbol of fertility and eternal life, thought to have magical powers. In Dreadic lore, cutting down a holly tree would bring
bad luck. In contrast, hanging the plant in homes was believed to bring good luck and protection. Holly was also thought to protect homes against lightning strikes. Romans associated holly was Saturn, the god of agriculture and harvest, and decked the halls with its bows during the festival of Saturnalia.
Early Christian calendars mark Christmas Eve as template exhorditor, meaning churches are decked, though supposedly Saturnalias celebrators didn't allow some Christians to hang bows in honor of Christmas A. Christians adopted the holly tradition from Druid, Celtic and Roman traditions, and its symbolism changed to reflect Christian beliefs. Today, Christians may consider holly symbolic of Jesus Christ in two ways. The red berries represent the blood that Jesus shed on
the cross on the day he was crucified. Legend states that holly berries were originally white, but that the blood Christ shed for the sins of humankind stained the berries forever read. Holly's pointed leaves symbolized the crown of Thorn's placed on Jesus's head before he died on that cross. Holly is known as Christ's thorn in German meaning christ thorn. Both of these symbols are meant to serve as a reminder to Christians of Jesus suffering, but they aren't the
only stories tying Holly to Jesus. One claims that the cross on which Jesus was crucified was constructed of hollywood. Another says that Holly sprang up from his footsteps. Less common symbolism includes the holly's white blossoms representing purity, and the idea that if the holly used decorade a home for Christmas prickly, the man of the house will rule for the coming year, but if the holly used is smooth,
the woman will rule. Traditionally, holly has been associated specifically with men, for whom it was considered to bring good luck and protection. The female counterpart to holly being ivy. But let's take a closer look at the science behind
this legendary plant. Holly botanical name elux aquifolium is a shrub or tree found primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia, with hundreds of species of the plant, ranging from short shrubs two meters high or about six feet, to tall trees up to forty meters high or about a hundred and thirty feet. It's known primarily for its bright crimson berries and prickly green leaves. Hollies can be evergreen, meaning the plant's glossy leaves are on the tree year round,
or deciduous meaning the leaves fall off seasonally. White flowers bloom in May or June, and with help from insects like bees, the female flowers produce those characteristic berries. Like its holiday companion mistletoe, Holly's berries are toxic to humans, resulting in nausea and severe stomach aches when ingested. Not so for some animals, though. Berries are a vital source
of food for birds such as thrushes and blackbirds. Although the scarlet berries are famously prominent in homes for the holiday season, they're not the only useful part of hollyse The berries are poisonous, but the green leaves have been used in herbal remedies for centuries for various medical conditions like dizziness, fever, and hypertension, though there's currently little medical proof of the plan's effectiveness. Also, Hollywood is hard and compact,
making it excellent for carving. It's sometimes used to make chess pieces and walking sticks. If you have a passion for holly three and sixty five days of the year. The mission of the New Jersey based Holly Society of America is to stimulate interest, to promote research, and collect and disseminate information about the genus Lex. Members can join a local chapter, find out where to get the best Christmas holly, and gaze upon the Holly of the year, as voted on by the h A Board of Trustees.
Today's episode was written by Sam Abramson and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on this and lots of other festive topics, visit our home planet, how Stuff Works dot com.