Winter solstice

The winter solstice is the shortest day for daylight hours, so from now until the summer solstice the days will get longer. Our pagan ancestors believed evergreen plants and trees to be sacred as they were full of life whilst other plants fell dormant and almost dead for winter. They believed that the evergreens brought hope and promise of better times. So the tradition of bringing them into our homes began then.

I love using evergreens to decorate the house at this time of year, whether it’s fir, laurel, ivy, holly, mistletoe, rosemary - they all look good and work well, and some will also provide wonderful perfumes of forests or fresh herbs. So I like to encourage hope whilst filling the house with the gorgeous scent of life.