by Kay Broome

Christmas Village Square (photo: Hert Niks)

Christmas is celebrated on December 25th (or, in the Orthodox Church, January 7th). Hannukah is on the 24th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, usually in late November or in December.  Likewise, the dates for Muslim Eid vary as well, but it often occurs in early winter. The Chinese New Year is the second new moon after the winter solstice, and can be anywhere from mid-January to mid-February.  In the Pagan community, we have Yule, celebrated on the winter solstice, on or around the 21st of December.

Christmas is for Kids (photo: Chris Benson)

Light in the Darkness

From all the above we see a common theme: most cultures in the northern temperate zone hold a big festival sometime in mid-winter. Certainly, during this darkest time of the year, we need to create a special occasion during which we can affirm each other and celebrate the fact we are still here; a time to be grateful for what we have, and hopeful for spring that will eventually come. Frequently, we celebrate by banqueting together, telling stories, giving gifts and by singing songs that are specific to the season.

The western Christmas tradition was strongly influenced by various pagan celebrations of mid-winter.  These festivities all included a large feast where the whole community was involved.  In earlier times, famine and extreme cold were always a threat and not everyone would make it through the harsh winter. The very young, the old and the sick were especially at risk, so it was important to celebrate with them in case they were not around by spring. To this day, whether we celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Eid, the winter solstice, etc., it is necessary to come together and gift each other with warmth and community spirit, especially now in these dark times.

The Hemlock that Does Not Poison

Hemlock Tree in High Park, Toronto (photo: Kay Broome)

Unless you live on North America’s west coast, in Japan or elsewhere on Asia’s eastern rim, you may not be familiar with the tree known as hemlock.  Tsuga prefers cool, temperate rainforests over the harsher cold of the boreal forests. In Europe, hemlocks died out during the last ice age and were only reintroduced there as ornamentals in the 19th century.

The hemlock tree has nothing to do with Socrates’ plant, the water parsnip (Conium maculatum), actually a herb much like Queen Anne’s lace. The tree apparently got its name from the scent of the needles, which are said to smell much like the leaves of the plant that allegedly killed the famous Greek philosopher. Tsuga hemlock however, is not poisonous. Nevertheless, woodland novices should avoid using the needles to make tea, as they could mistake this conifer for the yew, which is deadly poisonous.

Conium Maculatum, aka Water Parsnip (photo: Karelj from Charles University, Prague)

Hemlock is a beneficial tree within the forest. It regulates water flow and quality, renders dense shade to help insulate the biome and provides shelter for many animals. On the west coast of North America, hemlocks often grow from logs and dead trees, thus helping to break down dead vegetation and to create the dense, rich soft soil for which this region is so famous.

Hemlocks in Vancouver, BC (photo: Kay Broome)

A Tree of the Deep Forest

Hemlock is capable of living with hardly any sunlight, as a recent study showed. Young hemlocks were seen thriving in the depths of a forest with minimum light.  Research later found that these small conifers were receiving enough nutrients from birches and alders growing quite a distance away in a sunnier part of the forest. This was due to the relationship trees have with mycelium.

Mycelium, Commanster, Belgium, (Photo: James Lindsay)

The Interconnected Forest

Mycelium is the root-like structure of fungi and it differs in shape and appearance from species to species. Generally, it is mat-like, interlacing itself among the roots of trees. Mycelium is crucial to the life of a forest, helping to break down soil, to transmit nutrients and to aid in the process of decomposition. This fungal root structure is ubiquitous to the soil and indeed trees cannot live without it. Mycelium helps send water and nutrients to tree roots and in turn is fed by sugars obtained from the trees. It also connects trees with each other, so that larger, taller specimens, capable of obtaining sunlight and rainwater directly, can transmit these life-giving elements to smaller trees and saplings that stand within their shade.

Hemlock Branches, High Park, Toronto (photo: Kay Broome)

Hemlocks enjoy the company of other trees, cheerfully growing within conifer and deciduous woodlands alike, cohabiting with such diverse species as spruce, tuliptree, beech, oak and maple.

Generally pyramidal in shape, hemlock looks somewhat like its cousins fir and spruce, however, its needles are shorter and softer to the touch. The branches, including the leader or main central branch, bend at the tips, giving the tree the appearance of a hoary wizard with tall drooping hat.  Often asymmetrical, the tree has a graceful, yet elderly mien. The cones are like those of spruce, but smaller, growing only on the tips of the branches.

Hemlock Cones (photo: Kay Broome)