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Ho! Ho! Ho! The History of Christmas

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Holly

The evergreen English holly (Ilex aquifolium), the common holly of Europe, cultivated also in North America, is closely associated with Christmas tradition. One of the most popular decorations, holly has sharp edges, symbolic of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. The red berries represent blood.

Fun Fact: The hard white wood of Holly is used for cabinetmaking and related purposes; it is close grained and polishes easily.

Photo source: istockphoto.com

Next: Yule Log

More on: Christmas

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