It is no wonder that the mistletoe has a special place in Christmas decorations, for it is associated with both Teutonic myth and Celtic ritual. It was with mistletoe that the beloved Balder was shot, and the plant played an important part in a Druidic ceremony described by Pliny. A white...
3Decorations and Parties In colonial times, people did not decorate with tinsel or colorful lights. Instead, they decorated their homes with fragrant sprigs of herbs and rose petals. Churches decorated for the holiday, too. On Christmas Eve, ivy, holly, mistletoe and mountain laurel covered the...
The dazzling holiday lights and decorations, the scent of pine from the tree and the aroma of roasted chestnuts emanating from the street vendor’s cart in the big city, that first sip of cinnamon-laced eggnog (we’ll pass on the fruitcake, thank you very much), the heft and feel of ...