Ilex aquifolium
Family: Aquifoliaceae
How well do you know this famous tree? Everyone associates the holly with Christmas. Why?
The holly is a remnant of the Laurissilva, a sub-tropical type of Forest which used to cover Europe before the last glaciation. It evolved so well to resist the cold that we now link it to winter. It bears red fruits in November and December, being valuable and rare food for many wild animals.
This species has separated male and female individuals, so not every tree will have fruits (the males don’t produce fruits!)
So, why is Holly associated with Christmas?
It’s actually a very old tradition, older than Christianity. Pagan Europeans celebrated the winter solstice, viewed as the birth of summer (and not Christ!) since days start to grow from that date. Holly was a sacred plant for them, especially in the winter when almost every other plant seems to faint.
How well do you know this famous tree? Everyone associates the holly with Christmas. Why?
The holly is a remnant of the Laurissilva, a sub-tropical type of Forest which used to cover Europe before the last glaciation. It evolved so well to resist the cold that we now link it to winter. It bears red fruits in November and December, being valuable and rare food for many wild animals.
This species has separated male and female individuals, so not every tree will have fruits (the males don’t produce fruits!)
So, why is Holly associated with Christmas?
It’s actually a very old tradition, older than Christianity. Pagan Europeans celebrated the winter solstice, viewed as the birth of summer (and not Christ!) since days start to grow from that date. Holly was a sacred plant for them, especially in the winter when almost every other plant seems to faint.
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