The Christmas season is already pretty romantic…I mean, come on….softly falling snow, roaring fires in the fireplace, twinkly lights….all sounds pretty romantic to me. But even if you’re not feeling that butterfly feeling with someone, there’s always the chance that you’ll get caught under that pesky little kissing plant and could end up kissing that special someone.
That pesky kissing plant, technically known as mistletoe, actually has a pretty interesting history. Mistletoe is the common name for most obligate hemiparasitic plants…yep…its part parasite. Mistletoes attach to and penetrate the branches of a tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they absorb water and nutrients from the host plant. The name mistletoe comes from two Anglo Saxon words ‘Mistel’ (which means dung) and ‘tan’ (which means) twig or stick! So you could translate Mistletoe as ‘poo on a stick’!! Nothing about that says romance…however, it is considered, in Western Christmas, as a decoration, under which lovers are expected to kiss.
Mistletoe continued to be associated with fertility and vitality through the Middle Ages, and by the 18th century it had also become incorporated into Christmas celebrations around the world. The serving class of Victorian England is credited with first recording the tradition of kissing underneath the mistletoe.
Another source explained that the tradition of hanging mistletoe in the house goes back to the times of the ancient Druids. It is supposed to possess mystical powers which bring good luck to the household and wards off evil spirits. It was also used as a sign of love and friendship in Norse mythology and that’s where the custom of kissing under Mistletoe comes from.
Some believe that when the first Christians came to Western Europe, some tried to ban the use of Mistletoe as a decoration in Churches, but many still continued to use it! York Minster Church in the UK used to hold a special Mistletoe Service in the winter, where wrong doers in the city of York could come and be pardoned.
Others say that the custom of kissing under Mistletoe comes from England. The original custom was that a berry was picked from the sprig of Mistletoe before the person could be kissed and when all the berries had gone, there could be no more kissing! No more kissing? Now that idea should be outlawed!
I for one think that the world could use a little more romance and kissing. So, grab your sweetheart…or someone you wish was your sweetheart…find some mistletoe and share a romantic Christmas kiss!
