The Holly and the Ivy

The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown:

O, the rising of the sun, And the running of the deer The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom, As white as lily flow'r, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, To be our dear Saviour:

The holly bears a berry, As red as any blood, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, To do poor sinners good:

The holly bears a prickle, As sharp as any thorn, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, On Christmas Day in the morn:

The holly bears a bark, As bitter as the gall, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, For to redeem us all: Refrain

The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown:

Why do you have holly draped over the mantel and staircase?

Mistletoe has apparently been used as a decoration in houses for thousands of years and is also associated with many pagan rituals.

According to the book "Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things," by Charles Panati: The church forbade the use of mistletoe in any form, mindful of its idolatrous associations. As a substitute, it suggested holly. The sharply pointed leaves were to symbolize the thorns in Christ's crown and the red berries drops of his blood. Holly became a nativity tradition. The Christian ban on mistletoe was in effect throughout the Middle Ages. Surprisingly, as late as the 20th century, there were churches in England that forbade the wearing of mistletoe sprigs and corsages during services.

Ivy (as in the song above) is a very poor second regarding Christmas celebrations.

Like the evergreens, ivy is also seen as a symbol of eternal life and is used in Christmas decorations but not to the extent of pine, fir, mistletoe and holly.