While the Christmas tree forms the focal point of holiday greenery, it’s not the only piece of nature that people bring inside. At a time of the year when winter brings darker, colder days to much of the northern hemisphere, it’s a treat to bring color into your home in the form of natural beauty.

Of course, those who celebrate Christmas in warm weather don’t depend so much on greenery to decorate their holiday as Europeans and those living in colder climates. The Christmas bell (bell-shaped flowers) and the Christmas bush (little red flowers) are common Christmas sights in Australia, while the poinsettia abounds in Mexico during the holiday season.

The Legend of the Poinsettia

The legend of the plant now associated so strongly with Christmas arose years ago in Mexico, where it was traditional to leave gifts on the altar for Jesus on Christmas Eve. As the story goes, among a group of worshipers one night was a poor boy that had no present. Upset by his inability to provide a gift, the boy knelt outside the church window and prayed. In the spot where he knelt sprang a beautiful plant with vibrant red leaves. In Mexico, this plant is called the Flower of the Holy Night.

With 80 percent of flowering poinsettias grown in Encinitas, California, this city just north of San Diego is known as the poinsettia capital of the world. Although traditionally red, the flower now comes in paler varieties as well, including pink and white.

The Yule Log

The tradition of the Yule log has very deep pagan roots. Celts, Teutons, and Druids burned the massive logs in winter ceremonies in celebration of the sun. The selection of each season’s Yule log was of the highest importance and surrounded by ceremony, as the log was to start the celebration fires and last for the duration of the winter festival.

In the Christian era, the log was often cut on February 2 (Candlemas Day), then set outside to dry during the late spring and summer; sometimes it was soaked in spices and decorated with greenery. Often a piece of the previous year’s log was used to light the new log. In Scandinavia, this saved piece had the additional significance of representing goodwill from Thor. Scandinavians believed that Thor’s lighting bolt would not strike burned wood and that their houses were safe from lightning as long as they had this Yule brand.

In some parts of France, the Yule log was presented as the source of children’s gifts. The log was covered with cloth and brought into the house, where the children whacked it with sticks, beseeching it to bring forth presents. When no presents came, the children were sent outside to confess the sins they had committed that year; when they returned, the log was uncovered, surrounded by gifts.

In the American South, plantation slaves always tried to select the biggest possible Yule log. As long as the log burned, the slaves had to be paid for any work they did.

Changes brought by the Industrial Revolution finally made the Yule Log impractical. Few had the time or space for the preparations it required, and the small fireplaces of the city could not accommodate such a massive thing. Like the boar’s head, the huge Yule log became, for most people, an emblem of the past.

It does, however, live on in the tradition of a delicious Christmas dessert: a cake rolled into the shape of a log, covered with chocolate icing, and decorated with greenery and icing sugar. You can find it in many countries, particularly England and France.

The Bird’s Christmas Tree

Also known as the Sheaf of Grain, the Bird’s Christmas Tree is a Scandinavian custom. A sheaf of grain is hung on a pole on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day as a way of sharing the Christmas spirit with the animals. Including the animals in Christmas is very important in Scandinavia, as it is believed that kindness to animals will help to ensure a prosperous new year.

Boughs of Holly

In ancient times, holly was thought to be magical because of its shiny leaves and its ability to bear fruit in winter. Some believed it contained a syrup that cured coughs; others hung it over their beds to produce good dreams. The plant was a popular Saturnalia gift among the Romans, who later brought holly to England, where it was also considered sacred.

In medieval times, holly, along with ivy, became the subject of many Christmas songs. Some of these songs gave the holly and ivy genders (holly is male, ivy female), while other, more religious, songs and poems portray the holly berry as a symbol of Christ.

Eternal Ivy

In pagan times, ivy was closely associated with Bacchus, the god of wine, and played a big part in all festivals in which he figured. English tavern keepers eventually adopted ivy as a symbol and featured it on their signs. Its festive past has not kept ivy from being incorporated into modern Christian celebrations, however: It represents the promise of eternal life.

Mistletoe

To this day, mistletoe—a parasitic plant that grows on oak and other non-evergreen trees—is the only form of greenery not allowed inside many Christian churches during the holiday season. That’s because although other greenery was also used in pagan festivals, mistletoe was actually worshiped.

Both Druids and Romans considered the plant sacred, as a healing plant and a charm against evil. Mistletoe was thought to be the connection between earth and the heavens, because it grew without roots, as if by magic.

It was also considered a symbol of peace; warring soldiers who found themselves under mistletoe quickly put down their weapons and made a temporary truce. In a related custom, ancient Britons hung mistletoe in their doorways to keep evil away. Those who entered the house safely were given a welcome kiss.

While the custom of kissing under the mistletoe lost popularity in most other countries, it remained popular in England and the United States. Today, most consider mistletoe an excuse for kissing and nothing more, but some people in France still brew it as a cure for stomachaches.

The Kissing Bough

The kissing bough was very popular, particularly in England, before the heyday of the Christmas tree. Though its name might suggest otherwise, it wasn’t made just out of mistletoe, but included holly, ivy, and other evergreens. Shaped in a double hoop with streamers flowing from the top, the kissing bough was decorated with apples, pears, ribbon, and lighted candles. As with plain mistletoe, anyone found under the bough was to be kissed right away!