La Junta tribune., 1916-12-23
HOLLY AND MsTLETOE
Christmas Decorations for Hun.
drS,is Of Years.


Among the families OF trees there
is one family that has the lovely
trait OF staying green the year round
IL Is called by a very good name
evergreen.
The trees OF this family are the
only ones that afford shelter to the
winter birds and wild animals when
the snow piles high. Their friendly
branches are always ready to help
and protect them from the cold.
There are many members in this
family. Some of the relatives are
prim aud stiff, others have more
spreading branches. Some have fruit
which are called cones. The ever
greens make very pretty Christmas
trees and for that special reason are
very popular
The family OF laurels and magno-
las are very beautiful. They are
always dressed up and have beautiful
glossy leaves. To this family be
longs the holly with its shiny leaf
and pretty red berry.
It has been used for decoration
many hundred years. Long before
there was any Christian church. the
Pagans used the holly at their winter
festival In December They sent
sprigs Of It to each other with best
wishes for a prosperous year.
The early Christians took the hol-
Is and decorated their churches with
II. u was called holy-tree because
they put 1t there
In Germany 1t is called Christ
thorn because according to a legend
the holly was the burning bush In
which Jehovah appeared TO Moses.
In those Bible countries the holly
grows low and bushy In temperate
climates 1t grows to be quite a tall
tree. and is very fine and hardy
The holly-tree or holy-tree, Is used
to decorate our churches now at
Christmas time, just as Il was I'm
very olden times, and the Pagan
custom Of sending a sprig OF 1t in
the winter season with the best wish
es is too beautiful to let die out ana
so We keep 1t TO this day.
Another plant that stays green all
winter Is called the Mistletoe II is
not tree, but seems to descend
from the upper air and fall upon
some tree. especially the apple and
DO" oak. It is with feeling OF
wonder that people see this beautiful
glowing plant twining around bare
tree that has no green branches OF
It's own
II belongs to the parasite family
II has no roots and receives all its
sustenance from the tree upon which
IL grows
The meaning Of the word mistle-
toe is not clear. but thought by some
to mean twiE mistlctoe being
twig different from the tree on which
Il is found. In oldcn times the god
OF sunshine Baldur, claimed the
Nistletoe. and the people who
wished TO honor him cut II from the
tree with a golden sickle.
], was always held In high esteem.
4 branch of the mistletoe looks like
a diyining rod which vas used In old
en- times TO locate spring under
ground 10 tell where TO dig a we'll.
This rod was also said to turn In the
direction Of guilty people whose
crimes were unproyen.
The two ends OF the diyining rod
were held firmly In each hand. and
the opposite end turned, without the
will or direction OF the holder. So
the mistletoe became associated with
the practice Of magic and black art.
It was thought always to bring good
luck.
4 twig OF mistletoe bears rcsem-
blance In shape 10 the wishbone OF
a turkey; so on Christmas Day Il
Is good luck TO find the wlshbone.
In England originated the custom
Of kissing under the mistletoe. A
white berry was taken from the
branch for each kiss. The game was
kept M until there were no more
berries.