Barbara branches are synonymous with living customs and picturesque blooms in the midst of winter. For centuries and across all liturgical boundaries, the handed-down tradition has retained its magic to this day. This guide explains when and how to properly cut barbara branches and make them bloom. Immerse yourself in the colorful dance of worldly and spiritual meanings that are entwined around the historical custom.

The Barbara branch brings spring into the house during the dark season

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. What are barbara branches?
  2. Which branches?
  3. when to cut
  4. Cut barbara branches
  5. bring to bloom
  6. Cultivate Barbara branches
  7. 3 common mistakes
  8. Tradition Barbara branches
  9. Oracle Barbara twigs
  10. frequently asked Questions
    • Barbara branches are traditionally cut at sunrise on Saint Barbara's day, December 4th, and placed in a vase of water
    • With a bit of luck, the branch will bloom exactly at Christmas time
    • Traditionally, cherry branches are pruned, but other fruit trees such as apple or plum trees or branches of magnolia, cornus or other beautifully flowering trees are also suitable
    • After cutting, the branches should be placed in the freezer for 24 hours, then in a cool place until they show the first buds and only then to the final location

    What are barbara branches?

    Barbara branches are branches of fruit trees and other flowering shrubs that are cut according to tradition on December 4th. On this day, the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches celebrate the feast day of Saint Barbara. The traditional tradition is based on the hope that the branches will be in full bloom at Christmas and promise people good luck. For this purpose, they are staged in a vase on a windowsill or in the middle of the apartment.

    Buds at St. Barbara are magnificent blossoms at Christmas.

    Which branches are suitable?

    Traditionally, the branches of cherry trees serve as barbara branches. Depending on the region and customs, a wide variety of tree species act as suppliers of the magical flowering branches at Christmas. As a rule of thumb, any hardy tree that blooms naturally in the spring before its leaves sprout is suitable for the Barbara branch. The following table lists popular trees and shrubs that are often pruned on St. Barbara's Day:

    Surname botanical name
    Cherry/sweet and sour cherries Prunus avium / Prunus cerasus
    apple/decorative apple penalty
    plum, plum Prunus domestica
    cornel Cornus mas
    Sloe, sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides
    magnolia magnolia
    goldbells Forsythia
    Gorse, noble broom Cytisus
    Japanese ornamental cherry Prunus serrulata
    witch hazel Hamamelis intermedia
    winter jasmine Jasminum nudiflorum

    Trees and shrubs, which boast decorative fruits at the beginning of December, are highly valued as Barbara branches. A representative example are medlar branches (Mespilus), which bear spherical, orange-brown apple fruits on St. Barbara's Day, decorated with distinctive, pointed sepals. This has the particular advantage that these Barbara branches have a natural decoration in their luggage. This underlines the ornamental value in the vase and idyllically bridges the waiting time for the flower spectacle at Christmas time.

    When is the traditional editing time?

    Traditional customs dictate that barbara branches only bloom if they are pruned at the right time of day on December 4th. The best time is before sunrise, ideally after a frosty night. Anyone who misses this date will have to wait with the cutting until the Vespers bell calls for evening prayer on St. Barbara's Day.

    The Barbara branch is to be cut on December 4th

    Cut Barbara branches correctly - this is how it works

    Every year on December 4th there is a lot going on in gardens, orchards and forests. On this day, plant lovers are out in droves to cut barbara branches according to tradition. In order for the hope of colorful blossoms to be fulfilled for Christmas, a good sense of proportion and expert cutting are required. How to properly prune a barbara branch:

    • Best tool: freshly sharpened scissors with a bypass mechanism
    • Suitable branches: young, healthy wood with round, swelling buds
    • Optimum cutting point: just above an outward-pointing eye, so that the gap closes in spring

    The frequent recommendation to tap the ends of the branches with a hammer falls on deaf ears with experienced hobby gardeners. It is said that this measure improves water absorption. The opposite is the case, because the hammer destroys important pathways in the wood. It is better to cut at an angle or make a 0.5 cm deep cross cut in the end of the branch with a sharp, disinfected knife. Alternatively, thinly cut off a little bark from the end of the branch, which increases the area for water absorption.

    tips

    You don't need your own garden to celebrate the customs surrounding Barbara branches. At the beginning of December you can buy suitable branches at weekly markets, in garden centers or online, for example in the Dehner online shop. You can find out in the regional press where you can get Barbara branches free of charge. Giving away eligible branches is a popular form of prospecting and city marketing.

    This is how you make Barbara branches bloom

    The Baraba branch should be nice and bright

    Timely and competent pruning mark important milestones on the way to flowering St. Barbara branches at Christmas. In order for hopes to actually come true, you should treat the cut branches properly. How to get barbara branches to bloom on time:

    1. store in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator for 24 hours after cutting
    2. the next day in a bowl of lukewarm water
    3. on the third day put them in a vase with room-warm water
    4. initially choose a cool, bright room as the location until the first buds swell
    5. following the staged preparation, place the vase in its final location

    Barbara branches in the vase want a light-flooded place without direct sunlight. Pleasant room temperatures between 20 and 23 degrees Celsius are ideal. When choosing a location, please ensure that the rising air from the heating does not allow the branches to dry out prematurely.

    Caring for Barbara branches in an exemplary manner - tips & tricks

    Fresh water at room temperature is the be-all and end-all in the Barbara branch care program. Please change the water completely every 2 to 3 days. Check daily whether the water level in the vase has dropped to water the branches if necessary. The addition of liquid flower food is advantageous for a complete supply of nutrients. In connection with the water change, please check the ends of the branches. Rotten, soft spots are a good reason to trim a Barbara branch a few millimeters. The uncomplicated care is rounded off by a daily gentle spray of low-lime water, which compensates for the low humidity in heated living spaces.

    digression

    Arrange and decorate Barbara branches

    Blossoming twigs in the vase let creative ideas flow to enhance the picturesque spectacle with beautiful decoration. Arrange the branches with a flowering amaryllis, which naturally blooms in winter. A few blooming Christmas roses will gladly take on the role of a decorative escort. Of course, Christmas accessories should not be missing in the artistic interplay, such as glittering Christmas tree balls, colorful stars and shapely pendants.

    youtube

    Barbara branches do not bloom - 3 common mistakes

    Do your Barbara branches keep the longed-for blossoms under lock and key? Then there is a common mistake behind it. The following lines sum up three typical mistakes in the care of Barbara branches with tips for prevention:

    No cold stimulus

    If barbara branches do not bloom, the most common cause is a lack of cold stimulus. In the course of global warming, it is far too mild in late autumn because the Indian summer stretches over several weeks. Far and wide no sign of the first frost. For a cherry branch or other fruit tree shoot to bud, temperatures below freezing are essential. Instead of missing out on the blossom festival in winter, simply simulate a cold shock. To do this, place the cut branches in the freezer for a day.

    Abrupt move to the apartment

    A seamless move from the wintry garden to the comfortably warm apartment lets Barbara twigs wither hopelessly. Buds that have been laid fall by the wayside and all hopes of Christmas blossoms are gone. You can effectively prevent this trouble by initially placing the Barbara branches in a vase with lukewarm water in a cool, slightly warm location. In the right spring, the temperatures don't crack the 20-degree mark overnight. Regular spraying with soft water increases the willingness to bloom and cushions imminent drought stress.

    Mistake number three results from an unsuitable choice of wood species. It is not an iron law that only cherry branches are suitable for the customs. If you live in a region where cherry trees already have a hard time with a luxuriant blossom, please reach for regional, flowering wild trees such as sloe, cornel, elder or witch hazel.

    Barbara branches and their tradition

    The tradition of flowering barbara branches in the middle of winter is based on a medieval legend. Barbara was the beautiful daughter of the wealthy Turk Dioskuros. To preserve her chastity, he locked his daughter in a tower when he was traveling. The incarceration did not prevent Barbara from converting to Christianity and being baptized. Her father was so horrified that he handed his daughter over to the persecution of Christians in 300. Under torture, Barbara was supposed to renounce her new faith.

    On the way to prison, a cherry branch got caught in Barbara's clothes. She lovingly cared for this branch in her cell with water from her drinking bowl. Legend has it that the branch blossomed on the day of her martyrdom, even though it was a bitterly cold winter. The father showed no mercy to his steadfast daughter and is said to have beheaded her himself. Since then, Barbara has been honored as the patroness of the dying and is one of the 14 Holy Helpers in the Catholic faith. In memory of the courageous young Christian, the custom of flowering branches in winter is still celebrated today.

    Magical oracle - interpreting barbara branches correctly

    A lavishly blooming Barbara branch is said to predict a plentiful harvest

    Blossoming twigs bring good luck. The first records from the early Middle Ages already tell of this belief. Since then, the magical branches have functioned as oracles for various hopes in popular belief. We present some classic interpretations in more detail below:

    Marriage Oracle

    Single girls hang a note with the name of an admirer on each barbara branch. Whose branch blossoms first will soon be the bridegroom.

    Harvest Oracle

    Farmers establish a direct link between the number of blossoms on the Barbara branch and the next year's harvest. A lush flowering branch in winter makes the whole family confident of a rich harvest. If only a few or no buds open at all, this is associated with bad premonitions of a bad harvest.

    Hopeful lottery players have discovered Barbara branches as oracles. For this purpose, 49 branches are cut and placed in the water on Barbara Day. Each branch receives a number card. In the period that follows, the ostrich is observed with eagle eyes. The first 6 branches with flowers reveal the winning numbers for the next year.

    frequently asked Questions

    When do you put up Barbara branches?

    Follow the traditional tradition to the letter, cut Barbara branches on December 4th, the memorial day of St. Barbara. Of course, this is not a fixed date. To enjoy spring-fresh blooms in winter, you can prune branches of flowering shrubs on a different day in late November/early December, ideally after the first frost. Soak the branches in lukewarm water overnight and then place them in a vase of fresh water at room temperature in a bright spot.

    Which branches are suitable as Barbara branches?

    In addition to the traditional cherry branch in the Barbara legend, numerous other types of wood have the potential to become a Barbara branch. Basically, you can use branches from any early flowering tree or shrub. These include fruit trees such as apple, plum, damson and pear. Among the ornamental shrubs, forsythia and gorse have proven themselves as Barbara branches. Twigs of elderberry, willow, cornelian cherry, sloe or hazelnut find their way into the wintry home from the near-natural garden, to shine with fragrant blossoms or distinctive catkins at Christmas time.

    When do Barbara branches bloom?

    Traditionally, Barbara branches bloom at Christmas. Of course, the wintry magic trick only works under certain conditions. Twigs of early flowering fruit trees are cut after they have experienced a cold stimulus. A lukewarm water bath gives the branches the impression of spring and awakens the willingness to bloom. Then place the Barbara branches in a vase with room-warm water. According to tradition, the right time is December 4th, the memorial day of the martyr Barbara. Regularly watered and sprayed with fresh water in a bright, warm location, Barbara branches bloom just in time for Christmas and spread a touch of spring.

    Why aren't my barbara branches blooming?

    The most common cause is a lack of cold stimulus in late autumn. Cherry trees and other native flowering shrubs will not bud until they have been exposed to below-freezing temperatures for at least one night. If the weather is too mild, you should put the cut Barbara branches in the freezer for 24 hours. Furthermore, there will be no flowering if you move the branches from the cold nature into a well-heated room without a transition. Place Barbara branches in a vase with lukewarm water. For the first few days, choose a cool, bright place, such as the bedroom.

    tips

    Knowledgeable house gardeners use the Barbara Day not only to cut Barbara branches. Around December 4th the window is open to cut trees. Many native trees and shrubs in particular cope very well with pruning for rejuvenation in winter because they are dormant.

Category:

Trees