The Holly and the Ivy

The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.

Refrain:
Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom as white as lily flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet Saviour

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good.

The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn.

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all.

This particular Christmas song is not that well known, even though it has been around for centuries.  It is believed to be from the 1700’s.  Although these symbols – holly and ivy – were at one time Pagan symbols, Christians in Europe adopted these symbols and brought these evergreens into their homes during the Christmas season to be a reminder of the “evergreen” nature of our relationship with the Lord.  One of the things I like about this song is the fact that it points us to the Cross even during the Christmas season.  Although the baby in the manager and the Saviour on the Cross are too vastly different images in our minds, they are eternally connected.  The purpose of God sending us the gift of the Baby was to redeem all mankind through a sacrifice on the Cross.  There is no disconnect between Christmas and Easter.  The Redeemer came into this world as a beautiful baby, but was also born with an ultimate plan that would result in His death of the Cross.

The second thing I like about the song is that it is a great one to help teach our children.  We can give them some holly to hold, and let them have a visual picture of the symbolism found in this song.  It would great to have a child hold the holly leaves and feel the thorns.  For them to see the red berry and be reminded of the blood shed for their sins.  This kind of symbolism can really help our children focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

One interesting thing about this song is that all of the focus is on the Holly and no emphasis is placed on the Ivy.  I don’t know why that is, but if you reread the song you will see no reference to any symbolism in the Ivy.

So, although I can’t do it as poetically as the author of this song, I thought it would be good to see some symbolism in the Ivy.

Ivy multiples and spreads – If you have ever planted ivy you know that it will go and grow anywhere.  On the ground, around a fence, up the wall of a house.  Ivy is constantly expanding it’s territory.  We, too, can be like the ivy.  We can spread the Gospel.  We can go and grow anywhere.  We can expand the Kingdom territory.

Ivy has lots of roots – If you have ever tried to pull up ivy, you know that they have roots that go everywhere.  There is as much growth under the soil as there is above the soil.  We too need to be people that are rooted and grounded in the Word.  Constantly trying to gain a deeper understanding of God through His Word and through time spent with Him.

Ivy is “thick” – My granny used to have Ivy in her front yard.  As kids we would lose toys and balls in the Ivy because it was so thick, you couldn’t see anything underneath it.  As Christians, we too should be “thick.”  We should be close enough that we overlook each other’s faults and failures.  That we practice forgiveness and forgetfulness when we offend or hurt one another.

I pray you have a Merry Christmas, and that as you celebrate this Christmas at home or at church, that you will look at the Holly….and the Ivy in a whole new way.