Juniper (given name) "Benny & Joon" (where the Joon character was short for Juniper), Pamela Dean's novel "Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary", and the Donovan song, "Jennifer Juniper". The Juniper tree's name is derived from the Latin word juniperus. In Latin, juniperus is combination of the word "junio," which means young, and "parere," to produce, hence youth producing, or evergreen. Ginepro (Italian for Juniper), Ginevra (Italian variant form of Juniper), and Ginny are other names that also refer to the Juniper tree. Juniper is used to flavour the alcoholic spirit gin. The traditional drink jenever and its French name "genièvre" are names for juniper.
Tree-topper published a picture of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their family around a Christmas tree topped with an angel, and by its influence the Christmas angel became the most common tree-topper. During the 1870s, in conjunction with the growing power of the British Empire, the Union Jack had become the most popular tree-topper. In Jewish homes that use a Hanukkah bush, the Star of David is used as a tree-topper. Some Neo-pagan homes celebrate the winter solstice, which falls close to Christmas, by decorating an evergreen tree as a symbol of continuing life, but make an effort to decorate it