Dear Readers, I do love a bit of festive folklore, so here are three questions for today. As you will remember, I am doing a short quiz starting yesterday and finishing on Christmas Eve (24th December) – answers for the whole quiz will need to be with me by 5 p.m. UK time on Monday 28th December.

If you missed yesterday’s quiz, just search the blog for ‘Winter Wonderland’ and this should bring you up all parts of the quiz.

Christmas Plant Folklore

Here we go! Which of the plants pictured below:

A) Is actually known as ‘Christmas’ in Cornwall?

B) Is considered to be unlucky if brought into the house except between Christmas Eve and Twelfth Night?

C) Was believed to flower at Christmas because it grew from a staff planted by Joseph of Arimithea?

D) Was believed to flower on Old Christmas Eve (5th January), particularly in the Isle of Man?

Just match the plant to the folklore. So, if you think the plant known as ‘Christmas’ is Hawthorn, your answer is 4) A.

Question 4) Hawthorn (Craetagus monogyna)

Question 5) Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Question 6) Ivy (Hedera helix)

Question 7) Holly (Ilex aquifolium)