With Boughs of Holly: How to Make Your Own Wreaths, Garlands, and Centerpieces

A well-known English plant, the Christmas Rose, is a true Christmas flower. It is sometimes called the Snow or Winter Rose. It blooms in the depths of winter in the mountains of Central Europe. Legend links it with the birth of Christ and a little shepherdess named Madelon.

As Madelon tended her sheep one cold and wintry night, wise men and other shepherds passed by with their gifts for the Christ Child. The wise men carried the rich gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense and the shepherds, fruits, honey and doves. Poor Madelon began to weep at the thought of having nothing, not even a simple flower for the Newborn King. An angel, seeing her tears, brushed away the snow revealing a most beautiful white flower tipped with pink- the Christmas Rose.

With Boughs of Holly...

Download Zip: https://jinyurl.com/2vAe97

The Druids believed that holly, with its shiny leaves and red berries stayed green to keep the earth beautiful when the sacred oak lost its leaves. Holly was the sacred plant of Saturn and was used at the Roman Saturnalia festival to honour him. Centuries later, in December, while other Romans continued their pagan worship, Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus. To avoid persecution, they decorated their homes with Saturnalia holly. As Christian population increased, holly lost its pagan association and became a symbol of Christmas.

In the Anglican and Catholic Churches, the Church day starts at sunset, so any service after that is the first service of the day. So, a service on Christmas Eve after sunset is traditionally the first service of Christmas Day! In Churches that have a bell or bells, they are often rung to signal the start of this service. Today, the Church bells ring throughout the world on Christmas Eve, to welcome in the Spirit of Christmas with a joyful sound.

Pope Gregory IX called for an evening bell to the faithful to pray for the Crusaders. In time, it is said, the curfew was combined with morning and noon bells that had originally served other purposes. The result was the Angelus, the practice of pausing for prayerful reflection on the mystery of the Incarnation. Ringing the Angelus reminded people of their spiritual duties as they began and ended the day and as they went about their chores.

Deck the hall with boughs of holly,Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!'Tis the season to be jolly:Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!Fill the meadcup, drain the barrel,Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!Troul the ancient Christmas carol.Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!See the flowing bowl before us,Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!Strike the harp, and join in chorus:Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!Follow me in merry measure,Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!While I sing of beauty's treasure.Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!Fast away the old year passes,Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!Hail the new, ye lads and lasses:Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!Laughing quaffing all together,Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!Heedless of the wind and weather.Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

Deck the hall with boughs of holly,'Tis the season to be jolly,Don we now our gay apparel,Troll the ancient Christmas carol,See the blazing yule before us,Strike the harp and join the chorus.Follow me in merry measure,While I tell of Christmas treasure,Fast away the old year passes,Hail the new, ye lads and lasses!Sing we joyous all together,Heedless of the wind and weather,

Other common alterations replace the word "Christmas" with "Yule" or "Yuletide". For example, "Christmas carol" may be changed to "Yuletide carol" and "Christmas treasure" to "Yuletide treasure". Yule is used in modern times as another word for Christmas and the Christmas season, though the word has origins in an ancient Germanic midwinter festival.

In the original 1862 publication, Oliphant's English lyrics were published alongside Talhaiarn's Welsh lyrics. Although some early sources state that Oliphant's words were a translation of Talhaiarn's Welsh original,[9] this is not the case in any strict or literal sense. The first verse in Welsh, together with a literal English translation taken from Campbell's Treatise on the language, poetry, and music of the Highland Clans (1862), is given for comparison:[10]

The melody of "Deck the Hall" is taken from "Nos Galan" ("New Year's Eve"), a traditional Welsh New Year's Eve carol published in 1794, although it is much older.[1] In 1912, Ruth Herbert Lewis made a wax cylinder recording of a Welshman named Benjamin Davies singing a song, "Can y Coach faier", which uses the old melody now associated with "Deck the Halls". The recording can be heard on the British Library Sound Archive website.[11]

The tune is that of an old Welsh air, first found in a musical manuscript by Welsh harpist John Parry dating back to the 1700s[citation needed]. Poet John Ceiriog Hughes later wrote his own lyrics. A middle verse was later added by folk singers. In the eighteenth century the tune spread widely, with Mozart allegedly using it in his 18th violin sonata (1778)[13] and later Haydn arranged it in under the Welsh title, "Nos galan" (Hob. XXXIb: 29, 1803).

The holly plant has a long, rich history that stretches way back before holly was featured on printed wrapping paper and hung in homes next to twinkling lights. While other plants wither and die in cold weather, holly stays green and vibrant with bright red berries throughout the winter. This has made it a popular winter plant for ages.

The Druids and Celts both considered holly to be a magical and sacred plant. They saw it as a symbol of fertility, eternal life, and protection. Cutting down a holly plant was considered bad luck, but hanging its boughs indoors was good luck. Ancient Romans used the plant as a symbol of Saturn, the god of agriculture and harvest, and with its boughs, they celebrated the festival of Saturnalia. Romans also hung holly on their doorways for protection and good fortune. As a result, early Christians did the same.

Since holly stays green and vibrant with its leaves and berries even in the coldest month, holly plants have a long history and symbolic tradition, as winter decorations, which stretches back millennia.

The Celts and Druids though holly plants were magical and sacred. They viewed holly as a symbol of protection, fertility, and eternal life. It was considered bad luck to chop down a holly plant and good luck to keep holly boughs in your home.

For ancient Romans, holly was a symbol of Saturn, the god of harvest and agriculture. They used holly to celebrate the festival of Saturnalia and hung holly boughs above their doorways for good luck and protection.

If you plan to deck your halls with holly this December, you can do so with style and flowers! We welcome you to stop by our flower shop for personalized recommendations and expert advice on celebrating the spirit of the season with holly.

How cute is this double sided mug? With "Deck the Halls" on one side and "With Boughs of Holly" on the other, it has got to be the most cheerful holiday mug you ever did see. We love the more whimsical colors and the mint blue inside is the most adorable finishing touch. This mug is just begging to be filled with some hot cocoa while you decorate that Christmas tree!

Holly is an evergreen shrub-like tree that can grow up to 10-15 feet tall. Its thick, leathery dark green leaves have noticeably serrated edges with bright red berries (on the female versions of the plant) that are toxic when consumed by humans (and most household pets). Able to thrive in sunlight or shade with well-drained soil, this versatile shrub or tree is easy to grow. Branches of this festive plant have symbolized various ideas for different cultures around the world and throughout history. Due in part to its evergreen quality, holly is often used to decorate for many winter holidays and celebrations.

Though no written sources describing colonial Virginia Christmas decorations have been discovered, historians have concluded that the usual English traditions continued in the colonies. Virginians considered themselves English in every sense of the word, clinging to Old World traditions while trying just as hard to keep up with the latest London fashions. Evidence of colonial-era decorating has to be sought in pictorial representation, such as prints and paintings, and in English practices of that era. Sometimes poems and carols provide clues, such as the Christmas poem in an almanac of 1695 that begins,

English prints of the eighteenth century picture holly arranged in pretty vases, stuffed into crude pots, or stuck between the wooden muntins and the windowpanes. Decorating impulses did not stop with houses and churches; taverns and kitchens had their share of greenery as well, as prints and poems confirm:

If you plan to dress your equine friend up for pictures or a parade, all of the above cautions should still be advised or at least closely monitor your animal while in close contact with these holiday decorations to avoid any accidents.

All precautions can be followed, but accidents do happen. In the event of an emergency, our on call doctor can answer any questions or examine your equine or bovine animals. There is also a national Pet Poison Helpline available 24/7 to assist you with any concerns for animals of all species; small, large or exotic at 800-213-6680.

By using Toontown Rewritten, you certify that you understand that Toontown Rewritten is not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company and/or the Disney Interactive Media Group (collectively referred to as "Disney") and you hereby release Disney, as well as any employees or agents of Disney, from any and all liability, corporate, or personal loss caused to you or others by the use of Toontown Rewritten.

We've got a lot more in store for this Winter Holiday, but of course we can't get started without decorations. Check back tomorrow to see what comes next for the Twelve Days of Winter,and make sure to enjoy the lights around town! 2ff7e9595c