To the druids it was the holly being evergreen that made it special. They believed that the holly remained green all year round to help keep the earth beautiful during the autumn and winter when deciduous trees such as ash, oak and beech shed their leaves.
Photo by Jen Doyle, Dec 2011
Some ancient religions used holly for protection. They hung it on doors and laid it on windowsills believing that in doing so, the holly would protect their homes from any evil spirits. Holly also has the combination of the green and red colours. Green is symbolic of life, and the red is symbolic of blood. Depending on which religion you are looking at, the red can symbolise the blood of Christ, and to the druids, the red of the holly berries was thought to have represented the menstrual blood of their sacred goddess.
So when you are hanging the holly wreath this Christmas, not only are you adding to that wonderful Christmas atmosphere, you are protecting your home from evil- I wonder if we all carried a holly leaf would it keep the government out of our pockets? J
Christmas means different things to different people. To me, it has always been a time to be with those I love, to snuggle up on the sofa with my daughter and watch movies, with just the lights of the Christmas tree and the warmth of the fire to see by. It is also a time of transition; the old year is almost gone, and a new one is on the horizon. Ever an optimist, I like to think that with the new year, new things will come- hopefully better.
Now that I have my my website up and running, I am gone back to designing and have quite a few new headpieces among other things in the works that I will be revealing early next year- more coming soon on that!
Photo by Jen Doyle, Dec 2011
Also, if you are looking for some last minute gifts or a treat for yourself, I also have a non-bridal jewellery and hair accessories for sale on my website which you can see HERE but in the meantime if you would like something custom designed, or have any queries about any of my work please feel free to email me anytime at jen@jendoyledesigns.com
Merry Christmas!
Jen
