A Festive Home
Tuesday 4th December 2007 by Georgie Coleridge Cole
Christmas is a commercial dream. Each year the barriers are pushed further... what constitutes a generous present; how fine the trimmings are accompanying the (obviously!) organic turkey and how creative (not something that comes easily to us all) we’ve been in preparing our homes for the festive season.
 A tree, mistletoe and holly are no longer the norm; festive finishing touches from garlands to beautifully hung Christmas cards are integral part of the equation too.
But with all this pressure, how many of us actually take the time to think about the history of Christmas and more specifically, how many us actually know the relevance of Christmas decorations and why, at this time of year we bring the outside inside.
For landscape lovers, Christmas is about the approach of the winter solstice (when the shortest day passes and we can only expect more daylight) and the end of autumn; a time when everything is deceased or dormant except for the evergreens...
 Holly, mistletoe and Christmas trees remain green, representing life, fertility and hope, and indicating that Spring will return.
Whilst evergreens have been associated with Christmas since ancient times, fir trees weren’t actually brought inside at Christmas until 16th century. Legend has it a monk used the triangular shape of the tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God The Holy Spirit.
The history of holly is a long one. Worn by Druid priests in their hair, it was thought that the pointy leaves warded off evil spirits; in Christian folklore the leaves were associated with Jesus’ crown of thorns, and the Celts believed it to be lucky because unlike other trees it remained green in winter. In fact so associated with Christmas is holly, that it was once called Christmas.
 Mistletoe too is steeped in history. The parasite(!) symbolises love, peace, luck and fertility. Tradition dictates that after every kiss under the mistletoe you should pick one of the berries... once the berries are no more, the luck has run out.
But whilst holly, mistletoe and a Christmas tree are the obvious choice, in the evergreen Christmas decorations stakes, try to think outside the box. Rosemary, ivy, pine cones, yews and wooden branches can all be used to create festive features.
Equip yourself with gold, silver and white spray paint  to give your clippings a little something extra.
Bundle your evergreens together with some red and green wired ribbon and hang them from a chandelier or door frame.
Tuck smaller sprigs / bunches behind the top of pictures and mirrors.
Arrange your clippings in a tall glass vase or use oasis to create a festive centre piece for the dining table.
Feeling especially creative? Then why not create your very own wreath. Or, get your local florist to cut oasis into letter shapes (NOEL works well), then fill them with evergreens, berries and roses to create your own festive letters. If that sounds far too time consuming then Bloom do some fabulous fakes.
Collect or buy a bag of pine cones and separate them all into three groups: spray one lot gold, another silver and leave the last lot natural. Place them, along with some dried fruits and spices, in a large wide bowl by the fire place, on the coffee table, or scatter them around a large church candle.
And most importantly? Remember that the purpose of Christmas decorations is about bringing the outdoors inside to promote good hope and cheer.
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