Decking the Halls is a delightful and informative collection of the stories of our Christmas plants, their symbolism, customs, legends and even their superstitions. Get your Signed copy today! Other options: Buy your copy! Amazon Amazon.co.uk Froogle Barnes & Noble.com Childrens Book Market Culture Connections Of all the seasonal celebrations of the year, Christmas has more traditional plants with their accompanying legends and symbolism, than any other season. Holly, ivy, mistletoe, poinsettia, the Yule log, and the most popular and recognized of all - the Christmas tree - each has its own fascinating legend and history. Drawing from ancient Druid, Celtic, Norse and Roman civilizations, along with Christian beliefs, myths have been created in an effort to explain the unexplainable. Decking the Halls explores the history of our popular Christmas plants and flowers during this most holy season.  Excerpt Once upon a time, long, long ago, on a magical, mystical night, the world changed. The magic of the Magi and the mysteries of the mystics could not compare with the wonder of that night. It was a night when legends tell us that stars fell from the sky to become the flowers that we know as buttercups, encircling the manger in a glow of golden color, a night when ordinary weeds became majestic, brilliant flowers to honor the Son of God, and a night when animals spoke. It was a simple time, when science and technology did not explain away the magic and mystery of the unknown, when faith and belief in the incredible were all that were needed in the face of the unexplainable.

A great addition to the Christmas season
Reviewer: Brenda S. Weeaks

Decking the Halls successfully takes on the most important task of enlightening us about the plants mankind has chosen to celebrate his favorite holicay of Christmas.

Did you know that the color green symbolizes eternal life or that many of our Christmas traditions involving plants come from the ancient cultures of Druids, Celts, Norse and Romans? The first chapter tells the basics of the Christmas plants' heritage and where our traditions first started. In the second chapter, we learn the history of the mistletoe and how it became Oklahoma's state flower. In the next chapter, the story of the Christmas tree, how it was used in ancient traditions. The fourth chapter explains the circle of life, or as we know it, the wreath and what it symbolizes. The next two chapters tell us about the European traditions of the Yule log and the holy holly.

I found it interesting that again the Christian church condemned a plant because it was used in pagan rituals, only to later lift the ban.

This little package with a big story to tell also mentions the poinsettia and its heritage from Mexico, the rosemary and how it was used in the Middle Ages, the Christmas rose, which isn't really a rose at all, cinnamon, which was native to India, peppermint, the universal symbol of Christmas, and or course, the cranberry and its functional history.

What a delightful read! I came away filled with the knowledge of ancient cultures, history, and beliefs that surround the plants I put out every Christmas. Some of the information Linda Allen provides I am aware of, but the largest percentage, I was not. I will not only look at this season's plants differently, I will also share their stories with those who will listen and tell them where I learned it all.

Provides a fine reflection on folklore and traditions
Reviewer: Midwest book Review

Decking the Halls provides a fine reflection on the folklore and traditions of Christmas plants, considering the legends and symbolism which surround them and the seasonal customs which have accompanied popular Christmas blooming plants. Decking the Halls could have been featured in our gardening column, but is recommended here for its historical and social reflection, crossing different cultures in its analysis of plant meaning.