Tonight's display in Wyn Collis' garage presented us with another beautiful nativity scene, but to get there we walked up a drive bedecked with holly and ivy, reminding us of the traditional folk carol that dates back to the early 1800s.
We are very familiar with holly and ivy, which have been used for Christmas decorations since the mid-fifteenth century. Henry VIII wrote a love song "Green growth the holly" which speaks of the green hue of holly and ivy which stays even in the face of fierce winter chills. And there is certainly something enduring about these plants.
Whilst this song may well have pagan origins, there is a pronounced Christian emphasis in the words we sing. One version contains the words: "Holly beareth berries, berries red enough" which some have linked to the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross. Whether this was ever the intended meaning is hard to tell - what is perhaps more clear is that "the running of the deer" is a reference to the custom of hunting in the forest after the long night of the Winter Solstice. Another modern verse refers to "the playing of the merry organ" which seems like another rather ham-fisted modernisation which neither rhymes not fits the rhythm!
A slightly strange song, then, but a wonderfully festive one reminding us of the joy of the season. And the images conjured up by the song undoubtedly have resonance as we reflect on the journey that Jesus Christ took while dwelling among us. So, for example, the plant has sharp points which may remind us of the crown of thorns; bitter bark may speak of Christ's death; red berries remind us of Christ's blood; and the white flower may speak to us of his resurrection. Indeed, the more you think about it, the more descriptive and significant it may be!
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