The real Green Man

Felted Green Man

The decoration of this year’s tree by the Minnesota Herb Society was inspired by the twin themes of the Winter Solstice and the archetypal “Green Man” – both symbols of rebirth, renewal, and regeneration. History tells us that the Solstice has been a time of celebration for many millennia. “Solstice” – literally a time when the sun stands still – is the darkest day of the year. But it is also the day when the light returns, and Solstice festivities celebrate the promise of spring and rebirth.

The “Green Man” is an artistic rendition, in sculpture, wood carving, drawing, or other medium, of a face surrounded by or made from leaves, vines, or other vegetation. He is commonly seen as an architectural ornament on the walls of churches and other buildings around the world, in many cultures and many ages. In most traditions, the Green Man is a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of growth beginning each spring.

The Herb Society members have created Green Men (and Women) – and other ornaments on the tree – from leaves, branches, vines, berries, and their imaginations, using the flora of fall to decorate the symbols of spring’s promise of rebirth. The Yule Log beneath the tree is another Solstice symbol. Long before it was associated with religious observance, the Yule Log was given as a gift, often decorated with greenery, symbolizing the spark of hope when ignited.

The solstice is a time of quietude, of firelight and dreaming, when seeds germinate in the cold earth and the cold notes of church bells mingle with the chimes of icicles. Rivers are stilled and the land lies waiting beneath a coverlet of snow. . . . Then, as the Solstice sun moves across the heavens, the new year wakens, the darkness is dispelled, the days grow longer, and we prepare for new beginnings.

                                    ~ John Matthews

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December,

A magical thing,

And sweet to remember:

“We are nearer to Spring

Than we were in September,”

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

                                    ~ Oliver Herford

The Minnesota Herb Society wishes you peace and the comfort of friends and family this holiday season, and the promise of health and happiness in the new year.