THE HOLLY. 



51 



namely, the Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast 

 of Tabernacles, the two former were undoubtedly 

 typical of the Christian festivals Easter and 

 Whitsuntide, and were, if I may be allowed the 

 expression, merged in them, may we not infer 

 that the early Christians adopted the custom of 

 decking their churches and dwellings with green 

 boughs to shew the connexion between the Jewish 

 Feast of Tabernacles, and the festival at which 

 they commemorated the fact that, ^^the Word 

 was made flesh and dwelt," or, as it may be more 

 correctly rendered, tabernacled among us ?" In 

 the absence of all evidence, this conjecture appears 

 to be quite as consistent with reason as any of 

 the others which have been made, and certainly 

 more in accordance with the piety of the early 

 Christians. In some rural districts, the thorny 

 leaves of the Holly, and its scarlet berries, like 

 drops of blood, are thought to be symbolical of our 

 Saviour's suflerings ; for the same reason, perhaps, 

 in the language of several of the northern countries 

 of Europe, the tree is called Christ's thorn." 

 Mr. Knapp, in his instructive and entertaining 

 Journal of a Naturalist," makes the following 

 remarks on the abuses of this custom : Christ- 

 masing, as we call it, the decorating of our 

 churches, houses, and market meats with ever- 

 greens, is yet retained among us ; and we, growers 

 of such things, annually contribute more than we 

 wish for the demand of the towns. Sprays and 

 sprigs may be connived at, but this year I lost most 

 of my beautiful young Holly-trees, the cherished 

 nurslings of my hedgerows. The Holly, though in- 

 digenous with us, is a very slow growing tree, 

 and certainly the most ornamental of our native 



