Discussion

The theme of holiday decorations is extremely broad; so much so that it is impossible to be comprehensive in a brief photo essay like this. That is why I am focusing on just one item; the evergreen tradition. Give a little thought to other types of holiday decorations. Which ones have the most meaning for you, and how would you incorporate them into paintings of yours?

Evergreen Tradition

Holidays this time of year have long been associated with bringing greenery into people's homes. As far back as ancient Egypt, green palm rushes were brought into homes and temples around the winter solstice when the days were the shortest and Ra, the sun God, was either absent or ill. Those evergreen boughs reminded them of all the greenery that would grow again, symbolizing the triumph of life over death, when Ra returned or recovered from his illness as the seasons turned.

The photo below is of an Egyptian tomb painting from the tomb of Pashedu, son of Menna, showing him crouching next to a stream and a date palm in the lower world. He was foreman of tomb excavation and painting during part of the reign of Ramesses II (c. 1303–1213 BC).

Other ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows mostly on hardwood trees. Venerated by the ancient Greeks, it was considered to be a symbol of male fertility. The Greek hero, Aeneas, carried mistletoe with him when he traveled to the underworld to assure his safe return. In Celtic times, Druid priests performed a ritual under oaks with mistletoe, sacrificing two white bulls and feasting in the process, before harvesting it for medicinal purposes. It was supposed to make sterile animals give birth, but it is toxic to humans.

The Celts hung mistletoe in their homes for good luck and to ward off evil spirits. A temporary truce would be called If enemies met in the woods beneath mistletoe. This led to mistletoe being suspended over doorways for luck. The holiday kissing tradition came later.

Holly

The tradition of gift giving, going back thousands of years, is associated with holly. Holly was the sacred plant of the Roman God, Saturn, the God of the harvest. Saturnalia, a feast held on December 17 in Saturn's honor, was when gifts of holly wreaths were exchanged by Roman citizens.

Holly was also associated with Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. Holly plants grown in homes was supposed to prevent lightning strikes. Holly was once thought to ward off witches and evil spirits, too, but it has since come to represent peace and joy. When put on a bed post at night, it is supposed to bring sweet dreams.

IVY

Though not as popular as holly, ivy has long been associated with the holiday season, mostly used as trimmings along with holly. It symbolizes eternal life, rebirth, and the spring season. Some cultures see it as a symbol of marriage and friendship. Ivy is associated with wine making and the Greek God Bacchus.

Some cultures used ivy to make wreaths and garlands all through the winter months.

Trees

Fir trees have been associated with Christianity since the time of St. Boniface in the 8th century. They were first brought into people's homes in Germany in the 16th century. It wasn't a surprising move considering that evergreens of other sorts in homes had already long been in practice. Martin Luther (1483 - 1546) is said to have been the first to place lighted candles on evergreen trees. Medieval mystery plays sometimes featured trees decorated with apples, representing the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden. The apples were eventually replaced by shiny red balls like the one on Charlie Brown's tree of Peanuts fame.

German immigrants brought the decorated Christmas tree to Pennsylvania in the 18th century, but most Americans viewed it as a pagan symbol until sometime around the 1840s. Over the years, more and more decorations have been added to Christmas trees, and the symbolism of the red ball (apple stand-in) has largely been forgotten. With the advent of electricity, lit candles have wisely been replaced by electric lights; though rare and risky, candles are still sometimes used. Electric lights haven't always been simple bulbs. The bubble lights shown below are modern reproductions of ones available in the early to mid 20th century.

Christmas tree lights eventually spread elsewhere including outdoors. The modest display below is at Clifton Mill in Clifton, Ohio. It is one of the few remaining water-powered grist mills. Its holiday light show features a mere 3.5 million lights.

As unlikely as it may seem, the evergreen tradition which started at least as far back as ancient Egypt is the original source of inspiration for some of our most popular holiday traditions today..

Japanese Artwork

Japanese are no strangers to the idea of bringing plants into homes, though the symbolism is much more likely to be Buddhist oriented than anything else. The next two photos show holiday-season ikebana arrangements.

The Japanese holly bonsai plant below (ilex crenata) has the season spirit, too. It is native to Japan and other far eastern countries. As can be seen, it is a little different than the European holly species.

Except for bonsai, the idea of bringing trees into Japanese homes is a foreign idea. The spirit of the season can be expressed in other ways in art. The shin-hanga woodblock print below was produced in 1921 by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957).