Ivy is symbolic in many ways with the festival of
Christmas. It symbolizes three facts, it clings; it thrives in the
shade; and it is an evergreen. Its clinging has made the ivy a
traditional symbol of the, albeit now unpopular, image of the
helpless female clinging to her man for protection. It also
signifies true love, faithfulness, and undying affection - both in
marriage and in friendship. Christian symbolists consider the ivy's
need to cling to a support emblematic of frail humanity's need for
divine support. Like most of the other evergreens, the ivy
symbolizes eternity and resurrection. It has been associated with
the Egyptian god, Osiris, and the Greco-Roman god, Attis; both of
whom were resurrected from the dead. Noticing that ivy thrived on
dead trees Medieval Christians, symbolizes it with the immortal
soul, which lived even though the body decayed.
In spite of its use as a symbol of immortality, ivy's association
with the grave caused it to be strongly emblematic of mortality. At
Christmas time, ivy is used only on the outside of the building,
which represents mortality, because Christmas celebrates the birth
of Jesus, the giver of everlasting life and destroyer of death.
According to legends in Northern Europe Christmas occurred during
the middle of winter when ghosts and demons could be heard howling
in the winter winds. Boughs of holly, believed to have magical
powers since they remained green through the harsh winter, were
often placed over the doors of homes to drive evil away. Greenery
was also brought indoors to freshen the air and brighten the mood
during the long, dreary winter.
