Why do we decorate with EVERGREENS?

Holly, ivy and mistletoe are some of the few plants that keep their leaves during the European midwinter, and were revered as symbolising everlasting life. Sprigs of green leaves were brought inside to provide a temporary haven for the tree-dwelling spirits that were seen to have deserted the rest of the forest for the winter. Holly and ivy were also primitive symbols for male and female and therefore fertility. The Church injected Christian meaning into the use of holly, making it a symbol for Jesus' crown of thorns. One legend says holly berries used to be white but Christ's blood left them with a permanent crimson stain. To Christians, decorating with evergreens symbolises eternal life through Jesus.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.