As the thanksgiving turkey leftovers get tucked to the back of the refrigerator and thoughts turn to Christmas it is time to deck the halls with boughs of holly and hang the traditional wreath on the front door.

The custom of hanging greens, which include holly, ivy, evergreens and mistletoe dates back to pre-Christian times with the celebration of the Winter Solstice Festival. It was believed that the greens would ward off the evil spirits.

Churches traditionally celebrate the hanging of the greens as the start of the Advent Season.

Decorating with garlands of evergreens, kissing balls, Christmas trees and wreaths in our homes add warmth and charm to the holiday season. Rather than warding off evil spirits the greens and other decorations create a festive atmosphere.

A wreath on the front door originated in Roman times as a symbol of victory or status is now a welcome to holiday visitors.

Working berries, dried flowers and ribbon into the greenery can dress up the fireplace mantle and entry way adding enchantment to your home. Work in some white mini-lights that available with battery packs and your home becomes a setting of Christmas magic.

The poinsettia has been the traditional Christmas flower in the United States since 1828 when Dr. Poinsett, US Ambassador to Mexico, brought the plant home with him one Christmas. Today the poinsettia is a welcome decoration to home and hearth.

Mistletoe, often worked into garlands of green to enhance the decorative effect is probably better known for the custom of a couple kissing under a sprig of the yellow-green plant with white berries.

Though embracing was part of mistletoe’s original custom, kissing was not. In second century BC Britain, the Druids celebrated the start of winter by gathering mistletoe and burning it as a sacrifice to their gods. They also hung it in their homes to ensure a year’s good fortune and familiar harmony. Guests to the home were embraced under the mistletoe. Somewhere along the line embracing turned to kissing.

If you want to hang mistletoe in your home to embrace or kiss under or work into the garland, the advice from Kelly Kiley, a floral designer at Littlefield’s Flowers and Gifts on Main Street, South Paris is to order it early. “We don’t stock it, said Kiley. “But we can certainly get it as well as just about anything else that is needed for holiday decorating.”

Littlefield’s also carries holiday greens, fresh floral arrangements, wreaths, poinsettias and unique gifts. May other businesses in the Oxford Hills area can meet your decorating needs of fresh greens and Christmas trees such as Crystal Spring Farm, Route 26, Oxfo9rd and Young’s Green House, High Street, South Paris.

Candles are also another part of the decorative scheme for the season. Originally part of the Winter Solstice Festival in ancient times and in the middle ages were used to represent the star of Bethlehem, candles are now a basic part of holiday decorating.

Candles of balsam or spice scents can fill the home with the smells of Christmas as well as adding a touch of warmth to a cold winter night.

A large variety of scented candles can be found at The Secret Garden, 5 Fore Street, Oxford. With 120 vendors selling their Maine made products at the Secret Garden shoppers will find other decorative items such as primitive Santas and quilted holiday table runners.

All type and manner of candles are also available at most department and specialty stores.

Decorating for the holidays can be creative and a lot of fun. Magazines and websites, such as www.bhg.com/christmas/indoor-decorations and www.marthastewart.com/274574/christmas-decorating-ideas to name a couple, can provide you with a vast array of decorating ideas.