Holly and Ivy

The Romans were very fond of using holly during their Solstice celebration, known as Saturnalia. It was also closely associated with the God Dionysus. Gifts of holly boughs were exchanged during this time, since the plant was believed to ward off lightning and repel evil spirits.

The Druids held holly, one of the only vibrant plants to be found during the Winter, in high esteem as a plant of death and regeneration. Since its berries are red it was perceived as representative of the Goddess. Ivy, the accepted symbol of friendship, was believed to represent the consort of the Goddess and, therefore, masculine in nature.

The ancient custom of decorating the doorway with entertwined garlands of holly and ivy represented unity between the dual halves of divinity or, alternatively, the ritualized battle of the sexes. Tradition held that whoever first brought holly into the house at Christmastime, whether it be the master or mistress, would be the one who should rule the household for the coming year.

Mistletoe

The Druids considered the mistletoe to be a sacred plant and believed it had miraculous properties which could cure illnesses, serve as an antidote against poisons, ensure fertility and protect against the ill effects of witchcraft. Whenever enemies met under the mistletoe in the forest, they had to lay down their arms and observe a truce until the next day. According to the legend of Freya, goddess of love, beauty and fertility, a man had to kiss any young girl who found herself accidentally under a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling.