The Holly and the Ivy

A carol that survived a Reformation ban on Christmas carols, The Holly and the Ivy is also a reminder of older traditions and the spiritual significance of the Winter Solstice and Sun Return. Holly and Ivy represented masculine and feminine respectively. Woven into wreaths and brought indoors, they symbolise the sacred and eternal wheel of life and are a celebration of the green world that cannot (must not!) die. (Thanks to Tess Ward for references from her book The Celtic Wheel of the Year.)

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.