Our Wondrous Rejuvenating Evergreens
Ready to greet your evergreens? They are full of seasonal art and wellness wonderfulness.
It Started with the Solstice
Many of our seasonal traditions have their origins in the Winter Solstice and other pagan rituals.
A few days before Christmas (which is no accident), the Winter Solstice — December 21st-ish — is when we have the least amount of sunlight. Check out my blog post, “Your Solstice Sync with the Winter Season” to learn more.
Renewal and Rebirth
To ancient cultures, who relied on the sun to survive and thrive, the Winter Solstice marked the turning point towards more sunlight, hope, the promise of spring and a new crop cycle. Rituals, decorations, and feasts celebrated this annual renewal and rebirth.
Check out the Farmer’s Almanac for lots of cool info about solstice traditions.
19th century illustration of Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim from The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
Evergreen Symbolism
Can you guess how they decorated? You bet, with evergreen sprigs and wreaths.
In general, the color green is associated with renewal and growth among other things. So it makes sense that evergreens, one of the few trees which remain green during the winter, symbolizes renewal and rebirth and literally brings color and cheer into the dark, grey winter.
Rev Up Some Conifervor!
Try an “eye spy” greenery sweep. Notice how many conifers -- pines, firs, and spruces -- are in your line of sight. If you're outside, add touch to the experience. While you might want to pass on hugging an evergreen, consider carefully running your fingers over the needles. Are they prickly? Soft and springy? To experience the aroma, rub a few needles in your hand and take a sniff!
What happens when we look closely, listen to, touch, smell (and sometimes taste) trees and plants?
We send signals to our brains and bodies to calm and center.
ID Your Trees
If you get lost in those tree and plant guides, here are some helpful alternatives.
Check out this streamlined Park Service Guide to conifers with clear fact sheets including tree shapes and needle configurations.
If you’re interested in the conifer trees in your neighborhood, the vTree APP created by Virginia Tech can generate a tailored list of trees in your community.
Healing and Nutritious — Conifers to Sniff and Sip
Coniferous essential oils are known for their energizing and uplifting properties.
If I’m really honest, the aroma of our Christmas tree is the reason we haven’t switched to an artificial tree. The fresh and exhilarating smell of truly energizes the mood of our holiday home.
DoTerra’s White Fir essential oil provides that Christmas tree aroma without killing trees. I find that a few sniffs works as well a cup of coffee for a midday pick-me-up.
Get Your Vitamin C with Pine Needle Tea!
Did you know that the needles of some conifer varieties have more Vitamin C than an orange?
While this fun fact is well-substantiated, there’s a lot of conjecture about the health benefits of Pine Needle Tea. Alas, there isn’t enough data to back it up yet — from human trials that is.
While it might not be a cure-all, I find Pine Needle Tea to be a soothing and aromatic sanctuary. If you’d like to learn more and perhaps try a cup, here are some resources to get you started***
“Pine Needle Tea: How to Forage and Prepare Pine Needle Tea,” By MasterClass, March 30, 2022 featuring wilderness survival expert Jessie Krebs.
“Pine Needle Tea,” Description and recipe by Sarah Trenalone, Champagne Tastes Blog, Apr 1, 2019.
“10 Incredible Benefits of Pine Needles Tea,” Video by Erick Hayden, @EccentricNature, YouTube, April 6, 2022.
***This info is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Those with medical conditions should consult their doctor before drinking Pine Needle Tea.
So Many Sync-Up Choices!
You have many conifer sync-up choices — from visual and tactile “eye-spys” to sipping pine needle tea! Which ones will you choose?
Here’s to greeting your evergreens to refresh and renew this Winter season!
Creatively yours,
