Holly, Yew and Box 



should be bright and cheerful. Our forefathers 

 used it extensively in conjunction with the male 

 catkins of Salix Caprea, or Goat Willow, for 

 church decoration in connection with the observ- 

 ance of Palm Sunday, and through this it came 

 to be known as Palm. For this reason, some 

 old writers tell us, the custom originated of 

 planting Yews in churchyards where they did 

 not already exist, and we learn that old Yew- 

 trees in some country churchyards are still 

 referred to as Palm trees. Although from the 

 biblical account of the origin of Palm Sunday 

 and the use of Palm leaves, we should not be 

 inclined to associate a plant with it bearing such 

 a lugubrious reputation as the Yew, our an- 

 cestors may, however, have brought it into use 

 to pressage the event, the anniversary of which 

 occurs a few days later, Good Friday. 



With reference to the use of the Yew with 

 the observance of Palm Sunday, I have come 

 across the following note, which is an extract 

 from Caxtoris Directions for Keeping Feasts all 

 the Year. In the lecture for Palm Sunday he 

 says : " Wherefore Holy Church this day makyth 

 solemn procefsyon, in mind of the procefsyon 

 Cryst made this day. But for encheson that 

 we have Olyce that bereth grene leef, algate 

 therefore we take Ewe instede of Palm and 

 Olyce, and beren in procefsyon, and so is this 

 day called Palm Sunday." 



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