Holly: A Visual Reminder

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Joshua 4:1-7
There used to be a small American Holly tree by my garden gate. I cut it down about five years ago to prevent its spiny leaves from poking me every time I did yard work. It appears to me from some reading I did this morning that Holly was quite popular in ancient Rome. It seems they borrowed aspects of Celtic druid teaching and tradition took on a life of its own.

In his book "Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas," Ace Collins writes, "Romans believed, much like the Celts, that holly had the power to bring good luck. Hence, the more holly you had in your home, the luckier you would be. The people of Rome also felt that the plant warded off lightning strikes; a home containing holly would better survive a storm than one that was undecorated and therefore unprotected. Holly was also thought to drive away the evil powers of black magic."

However, as Christianity became the state religion of the empire, holly took on a new meaning. Teachers used the plant as a visual aid with the prickly leaves representing the crown of thorns and the berries representing the blood Jesus shed on the cross.

Of course, whether or not God intended holly to be used this way is pure speculation, but this story does underscore a powerful Jewish concept-the concept of using all five senses to teach the faith. Christians have done so as well (think of communion and baptism). So, if you have a Christmas tree in your home, let it be a Christian Christmas Tree. If you have bells on your door, let them have a Christian meaning. Learn the story of the candy cane and other stories behind Christmas traditions. In doing so you will pass down truth in ways not easily forgotten.