Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1908-12-10

At Christmas. since both plants are
exceedingly are here. But in England
The use OF the ivy az least is universal.
and the references 10 IL in Christmas
song and story alone would al a small
volume.
Besides It's claim 70 appropriate
ness for the Christmas season which
t. holds in common with other ever
green's. it has two especially strong
recommendations Of its own. On ac-
count Of IFS habit of clinging strongly
to It's supporting tree or wall. IL is
4 popular symbol Of friendship and
fidelity. and as such. an excellent deco
ration for the season Of good will and
universal Brotherhood And it was.
in Roman days. sacred to Bacchus.
who. when a baby. was hidden by his
aunt. mo. among its leaves. to save
him from Juno's destructive wrath.
Prynne says:
At Christmas men 10 always Ivy get.
And In each corner u the house IL set;
But why 90 they then use that Bacchus
weed
Because they mean then B~acchus-uk- to
feed.
This satirical explanation was but
o true in the earlier DAYS. when
Christmas lasted for weeks. and was
given Y p to 4 revelry almost wholly
heather in character.
To-day, in America. the Christmas
decorations almost exclusively are of
holly. which. for all its popularity. is
less c-onsecrated by legend than any
other holiday grpenery. To be sure
We make 4 sparing use Of the misrle-
toe, which. from the ancient Druidical
meaning Of purity given TO its wax
white berries. and from its use by
them in the marriage rite. has come
TO give a charter for kissing as broad
As the wind And we have added the
hitter-sweet. which has no traditional
stEniication whatever. is not an
evergreen. and Is to be tolerated
merely for its heautv's sake. and for
the slight suggestion IL gives OF the
holly berry
Our American holly Is said 70 be
less beautiful than the European
plant. having leaves ~ 4 duller green.
But. making all allowances for pos
sihle disadvantages. 10 still is a re-
markahly beautiful tree And as a
symbol uf the Immortality which il is
the season special mission To teach.
II surely has no rival The leaves re-
main On the branches for three years.
losing their hold only when they are
pushed on al last by the growing buds
Of spring
Throughout England. 50 little is its
supremacy disputed. hat II is popular
Is known As Christmas. Just as the
hawthorn is called The MAY
IT'S name has been a matter OF con
siderable interest Theaphrastus and
other Greek authors named the plant
Agria that is. Wild. or OF the fields.
The Romans formed from this the
word ASrifuIfum and called IL also
Aquif0ilum. from acrIm. sharp. and
f1lium. Il leaf. Bauhin and Loureiro
first named II lex. from the resemb-
lance OF its leaves 70 those Of the
Quercus lex. a species OF oak which
was the true Hex OF Virgil. Linnaeus
adopted the name lex for the genus.
and preserved the name AquifClium
for the most ancienriy known species.
Our popular name. holly. probably
is a corruption Of the word holy. as
Turner in his herbal calls il holy. and
holy tree The thorny foliage. and
the berries Ike drops Of bright blood.
could scarcely fail 70 remind a Chris
tan OF the crown OF thorns. and this.
together with the universal use OF the
plant in the churches at Christmas
easily would account for the name.
In Germany it Is known as Christ
dorm The Danish name is Christurn
and the Swedish Chrfsytorn. The
same name. Christ's thcru, is tours. in
some parts Of England BUT as no
legend the holly with the
crown OF thorns. this name. universal
among the Germanic peoples. must be
merely the result Of its appearance
and Of its Christmas popularity. as
bafnrn Suggested