Plants and Natural Decor to Celebrate Winter Solstice

This Saturday, Dec. 21, marks the winter solstice, the first day of winter. It's the shortest day of the year with the longest night. From Saturday onward, the days will grow longer again and the nights shorter until June 20, 2025, when we mark the summer solstice. In cultures throughout history, the winter solstice was a time to celebrate and look ahead to warmer days. To do so, many cultures incorporated plants and natural elements into their solstice celebrations. The human fondness for the natural world and the unconscious need for nature's connections is known as biophilia. This evolutionary desire is said to be observed in behaviors that include the natural world in both annual traditions and daily practices. Adding the beauty of a poinsettia plant to one's holiday decor is a prevalent option today. Its colorful leaves range from brilliant red to blushing pink or a creamy white and it's considered a Christmas flower that is given as a symbol of goodwill. Known as La Cuetlaxochitl in Nahuatl, which means "the flower that withers," poinsettias date back to pre-Hispanic Mexico and Central America to a time when they were first used by the Aztecs for many purposes. After the Spanish conquest, the plant was incorporated into Christian traditions in Mexico and later brought to the U.S. in 1822 by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Minister to Mexico, for cultivation. Evergreen trees have also long been a prominent symbol of the winter season and holiday tradition, as humans sought to bring parts of the outdoors into their cold-weather homes. From pine and fir to spruce, juniper and cedar, they're an ever-visible sight in the Christmas tree, wreaths, mantel swags and other greenery decorations. Fragrant evergreens often symbolized prosperity, protection and renewed life. Evergreen traditions date back to the ancient Romans who decorated temples with evergreen boughs to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture, during December celebrations and made wreath crowns for their guests. Additionally, Celtic druids are said to have decorated evergreen trees with edible items to usher in a prosperous new year. Oak trees often made their way into winter solstice celebrations thanks to their immense size and impressive strength. They represented the sun, strength and wisdom, and the term "Druid," used for ancient Celtic priests, came from the Celtic word "duir," meaning oak. Oaks were popular for multiple reasons, and one was their relationship with another popular solstice plant, the parasitic mistletoe that grew alongside their trunks. Yule logs, which were burned over the 12 days of Yule, were sometimes made of oak for its long-burning qualities and its symbolism of strength and wisdom. A piece of the Yule log was traditionally kept to start the next year's Yule fire and ashes were spread through the home as a protection from evil spirits or scattered over crops to spread the power of the sun. The beautiful leaves of holly and ivy are traditional winter solstice plants that even have their own holiday songs. Holly, with its dark-green leaves and red berries, was a symbol of the waning sun and the vines of ivy represented eternal life and fidelity. Both brought the warmth of greenery and beauty to solstice homes. While holly was said to welcome good luck and protection, ivy was known to be a harbinger of family and friendship. As mentioned previously in relation to its parasitic attachment to the oak tree, mistletoe is as dangerous as it is prolific in solstice traditions. Long used for medicinal purposes, protection and blessings by many of the ancient cultures where it could be found, the mistletoe plant also was known to be a peacemaker. The act of exchanging a kiss under a rafter-dangling sprig of mistletoe came from the ancient Norse legend that said men who met under it had to lay down their arms. Many societies also hung the leaves to welcome good fortune and peace into their homes and believed it promoted fertility, hence another reason for the kissing tradition. Lingonberry is used in Swedish celebrations of Santa Lucia Day, when girls dress in white and don crowns made of lingonberry branches and candles. The feast for Santa Lucia takes place on Dec. 13 as a way to brighten the dark Scandinavian months. The fruit-bearing evergreen grows throughout the region and its red berries are edible as well as nutritious, representing light and life. There are several other fruits that are often associated with the winter solstice around the world and are part of home-decorating traditions. Pomegranates and watermelon are eaten during Yalda in Iran, which celebrates the birth of Mithra, goddess of light in Iranian mythology. Yuzu, a yellow citrus fruit that originated in central China, is a traditional ingredient for baths on Toji, Japan's winter solstice celebration, to bring good health and luck as you wash away the old year. Cranberries are also a popular winter solstice fruit here in the U.S., where they are said to symbolize earth's abundance and are strung onto garlands and used in seasonal dishes. While we are still early in the stick season, the winter solstice is a hopeful indicator of the spring ahead. Incorporating winter fruits and greenery in the home can help counteract those winter blues, serving as a reminder of the life and beauty that still flourishes during a season of hibernation.