Christmas Holly Trees: History, Winter Solstice
 

Christmas holly and the approach of the Christmas holiday don't hold the same meaning for everyone. For those of us keenly aware of the cycle of the seasons, the approach of Christmas means the winter solstice is coming. In the snowy North, the winter solstice is the day on which the rest of the year pivots for lovers of landscaping and gardening.
"Things have to get worse before they can get better." Those of us in northern climes who enjoy seeing plants growing outside understand the wisdom behind this observation, when autumn draws to a close and the winter solstice approaches. On the one hand, with each passing day of autumn we are robbed of more and more daylight. On the other hand, we know that, when the winter solstice does arrive, we'll turn the corner: the shortest day will have been reached, and from then on we can only gain daylight -- imperceptibly, to be sure, but also inexorably.
Ancient peoples, who spent more time outdoors than we do, were acutely aware of this annual ebb and flow of daylight, the two poles of which are the winter solstice and its summer counterpart. For the Celts, what we know as Christmas holly trees had a place in their rituals marking these two poles, each of which indicate when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator.
Read more here at this link Christmas Holly Trees | Winter Solstice | CHRISTMAS HOLLY TREES

Re: Christmas Holly Trees: History, Winter Solstice
 

Greg,
the plants are sure enough aware of the 21st of december as everyday after that gets more and more light. To me it says that winter no matter how bad it can get has it days numbered and is dieing a little more everyday. and everyday past the 21st is one day closer to spring. I do wonder what it will be like though if 2012 does have the pole or crustal shift. how long will it take for the earth to reajust and get back to a normal cycle. that could be the adventure of a life time, something that no one alive today has ever seen or lived through. jimmmy

Re: Christmas Holly Trees: History, Winter Solstice
 

Re: Christmas Holly Trees: History, Winter Solstice