To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. Jeremiah 6:20
"Evergreen plants, like Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe have been used for 
thousands of years to decorate and brighten up buildings during the long dark winter. They also reminded people that spring would come and that winter wouldn't last forever.
apples on the paradise tree. They represented the fall of Adam in the plays.
The Romans would exchange evergreen branches during January as a sign of good luck. The ancient Egyptians used to bring palm branches into their houses during the mid winter festivals.
In many parts of Europe during the middle ages, Paradise plays were performed, often on Christmas Eve. They told Bible stories to people who couldn't read. The 'Paradise Tree' in the garden of eden in the play was normally a pine tree with red apples tied to it.
As mentioned above, an early use of red at Christmas were the
Red is also the color of Bishops robes. These would have been worn by St. Nicholas and then also became Santa's uniform." WhyChristmas.com