During the Christmas festivities, mistletoe, holly and Jew's Myrtle are three of the plants most used to decorate the home and the pessebre, the nativity scene. They belong to the bush family and bear fruits that ripen at the beginning of winter, around Christmastime. Probably because of this, they are attributed a series of properties related to luck, in the case of mistletoe, and the protection of the home, in the case of holly.

Mistletoe is a subshrub that lives in the branches of, principally, deciduous trees. It has yellowish leaves and round white berries. Its medicinal properties have been known since time immemorial, and some people think that it brings good luck; this is why it is customary to give bouquets of small branches during these festivities.

Holly, with its red berries and spiky leaves, must be one of the plants most readily associated with Christmas. It has become an important symbol and is a recurring motif in the images of these days. Together, this means that the plant has been abused by people and holly has ended up being a protected species in Catalonia. If you want to buy it, it must be imported or even imitation.

Indeed, one of the most prized holly substitutes is galzeran, Jew's Myrtle, with less spiky leaves, bigger red berries, and very similar colours. Like holly, it also has medicinal and cosmetic properties that make it very  attractive.