DECEMBER
Holly and Narcissus
The final month of the calendar closes with two quintessential holiday flowers—holly and narcissus.
Holly is native to North America and their leaves and berries are an important source of winter food and shelter for birds and wildlife. The myths and legends that surround its glossy green leaves and bright red berries tell how holly has come to symbolize protection and an ability to provide shelter. In Christian traditions, it’s said that holly’s thorny leaves hid and protected the baby Jesus from the cruel King Herod and his men. Pagan legends say that holly is refuge for sprites and fairies and can be used to ward off evil.
The variety of narcissus known as paperwhites, are in the same family as daffodils. Able ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access