Festive Xmas Plants From Around The World: Holiday Symbols, Wheat, Radishes, Hazelnut Branches...
'Christmas: Festive plants from around the world.' When it comes to festive flora, the Christmas tree often steals the spotlight. But countless other plants have become symbols of the holiday season. DW, Dec. 14, 2020.
- European holly is a common decoration at Christmas tables.
Poinsettia: The poinsettia, with its striking red and green foliage, is one of the most iconic Christmas plants — although its popularity is only a relatively recent development. The plant originally hails from Mexico and Central America. It was first cultivated by the Aztecs, who called it cuetlaxochitl and made dye from its brightly colored leaves and used its sap for medicinal purposes.
Holly: There are more than 400 species of holly, but the two most common varieties used to "deck the halls" come Christmas have spiky, glossy leaves and bright red berries, and can be found in the eastern US and Europe. The plant has long been seen as a symbol of eternal life and growth because it stays green year-round. It became a popular decoration after the arrival of Christianity in Europe — its sharp leaves were said to represent Christ's crown and the red berries his blood.
More recently, scientists studying European holly have suggested the species has the ability to produce both smooth and spiky leaves at the same time. They found the plants appeared to sprout sharp foliage at will, possibly to protect themselves from browsing herbivores.
Mistletoe: Throughout history, in different cultures — including among ancient Greeks and Romans — this plant has been seen as a symbol of healing, fertility, love and good fortune. In European folklore it was considered magical and a repellant of evil spirits because of its ability to stay green through winter...
More, https://www.dw.com/en/christmas-seasonal-traditional-plants/a-55892197
- The didukh, often seen at Ukrainian Christmas celebrations, represents ancestors' spirits.
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