WEBVTT - Why Is Holly a Christmas Decoration?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from how Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Lauren vogel Bomb. And during the Christmas season, Polly

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<v Speaker 1>adorn's houses all over the world. The prickly green plant

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<v Speaker 1>in its red berries, whether real or crafted from plastic,

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<v Speaker 1>are popular ornament for anyone wanting to make their space

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<v Speaker 1>a little more festive. But where did this tradition begin?

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<v Speaker 1>Why do we deck our halls with bows of holly

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<v Speaker 1>every December? What does holly represent in the celebration of Christmas?

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<v Speaker 1>Despite its association with the Christmas season, holly did not

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<v Speaker 1>get its name from holy. The name of the plant

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<v Speaker 1>is very similar across both Germanic and Latin languages, and

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<v Speaker 1>its origin is probably the Proto Indo European root word kell,

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<v Speaker 1>which appropriately means prickly or to prick, Proto Indo European

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<v Speaker 1>being the ancient based language of all Indo European languages.

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<v Speaker 1>Even in ancient times, people took advantage of the sharp

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<v Speaker 1>ends of holly's leaves. Druids hung it on windows and

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<v Speaker 1>doorways to fend off evil, which is in spirits. Before

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<v Speaker 1>holly was hung in houses to accompany Christmas trees, it

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<v Speaker 1>was considered to be a sacred plant by the Druids.

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<v Speaker 1>While other plants wilted in winter weather, holly remained green

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<v Speaker 1>and strong, its berries of brightly colored red and the

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<v Speaker 1>harshest of conditions. The Druids regarded holly as a symbol

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<v Speaker 1>of fertility and eternal life, thought to have magical powers.

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<v Speaker 1>In Dreadic lore, cutting down a holly tree would bring

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<v Speaker 1>bad luck. In contrast, hanging the plant in homes was

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<v Speaker 1>believed to bring good luck and protection. Holly was also

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<v Speaker 1>thought to protect homes against lightning strikes. Romans associated holly

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<v Speaker 1>was Saturn, the god of agriculture and harvest, and decked

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<v Speaker 1>the halls with its bows during the festival of Saturnalia.

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<v Speaker 1>Early Christian calendars mark Christmas Eve as template exhorditor, meaning

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<v Speaker 1>churches are decked, though supposedly Saturnalias celebrators didn't allow some

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<v Speaker 1>Christians to hang bows in honor of Christmas A. Christians

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<v Speaker 1>adopted the holly tradition from Druid, Celtic and Roman traditions,

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<v Speaker 1>and its symbolism changed to reflect Christian beliefs. Today, Christians

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<v Speaker 1>may consider holly symbolic of Jesus Christ in two ways.

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<v Speaker 1>The red berries represent the blood that Jesus shed on

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<v Speaker 1>the cross on the day he was crucified. Legend states

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<v Speaker 1>that holly berries were originally white, but that the blood

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<v Speaker 1>Christ shed for the sins of humankind stained the berries

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<v Speaker 1>forever read. Holly's pointed leaves symbolized the crown of Thorn's

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<v Speaker 1>placed on Jesus's head before he died on that cross.

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<v Speaker 1>Holly is known as Christ's thorn in German meaning christ thorn.

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<v Speaker 1>Both of these symbols are meant to serve as a

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<v Speaker 1>reminder to Christians of Jesus suffering, but they aren't the

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<v Speaker 1>only stories tying Holly to Jesus. One claims that the

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<v Speaker 1>cross on which Jesus was crucified was constructed of hollywood.

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<v Speaker 1>Another says that Holly sprang up from his footsteps. Less

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<v Speaker 1>common symbolism includes the holly's white blossoms representing purity, and

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<v Speaker 1>the idea that if the holly used decorade a home

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<v Speaker 1>for Christmas prickly, the man of the house will rule

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<v Speaker 1>for the coming year, but if the holly used is smooth,

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<v Speaker 1>the woman will rule. Traditionally, holly has been associated specifically

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<v Speaker 1>with men, for whom it was considered to bring good

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<v Speaker 1>luck and protection. The female counterpart to holly being ivy.

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<v Speaker 1>But let's take a closer look at the science behind

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<v Speaker 1>this legendary plant. Holly botanical name elux aquifolium is a

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<v Speaker 1>shrub or tree found primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia,

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<v Speaker 1>with hundreds of species of the plant, ranging from short

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<v Speaker 1>shrubs two meters high or about six feet, to tall

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<v Speaker 1>trees up to forty meters high or about a hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and thirty feet. It's known primarily for its bright crimson

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<v Speaker 1>berries and prickly green leaves. Hollies can be evergreen, meaning

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<v Speaker 1>the plant's glossy leaves are on the tree year round,

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<v Speaker 1>or deciduous meaning the leaves fall off seasonally. White flowers

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<v Speaker 1>bloom in May or June, and with help from insects

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<v Speaker 1>like bees, the female flowers produce those characteristic berries. Like

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<v Speaker 1>its holiday companion mistletoe, Holly's berries are toxic to humans,

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<v Speaker 1>resulting in nausea and severe stomach aches when ingested. Not

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<v Speaker 1>so for some animals, though. Berries are a vital source

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<v Speaker 1>of food for birds such as thrushes and blackbirds. Although

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<v Speaker 1>the scarlet berries are famously prominent in homes for the

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<v Speaker 1>holiday season, they're not the only useful part of hollyse

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<v Speaker 1>The berries are poisonous, but the green leaves have been

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<v Speaker 1>used in herbal remedies for centuries for various medical conditions

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<v Speaker 1>like dizziness, fever, and hypertension, though there's currently little medical

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<v Speaker 1>proof of the plan's effectiveness. Also, Hollywood is hard and compact,

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<v Speaker 1>making it excellent for carving. It's sometimes used to make

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<v Speaker 1>chess pieces and walking sticks. If you have a passion

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<v Speaker 1>for holly three and sixty five days of the year.

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<v Speaker 1>The mission of the New Jersey based Holly Society of

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<v Speaker 1>America is to stimulate interest, to promote research, and collect

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<v Speaker 1>and disseminate information about the genus Lex. Members can join

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<v Speaker 1>a local chapter, find out where to get the best

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<v Speaker 1>Christmas holly, and gaze upon the Holly of the year,

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<v Speaker 1>as voted on by the h A Board of Trustees.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's episode was written by Sam Abramson and produced by

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<v Speaker 1>Tyler Clang. For more on this and lots of other

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<v Speaker 1>festive topics, visit our home planet, how Stuff Works dot com.