The idea is that if you meet someone underneath it, you have to give them a kiss! But where did this tradition come from? Mistletoe is a plant that has been written about in stories and myths for many hundreds of years. It is what's called a parasitic plant, which means that it has to grow on other trees to get what it needs to live.
It's not possible for you to grow it in a pot or in the ground on its own. The most common trees on which it grows in the UK are apple trees, but it can grow on others. There are up to 1, species of mistletoe around the world, but the European mistletoe that we know is a type called Viscum album. For example, France sees it as a good luck charm and French people often give it to friends as a New Year gift to wish them luck in the coming 12 months.
The short answer to this question is there is no one simple reason! The UK tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is thought to have started in the s, but it became much more popular throughout the s. The Victorians especially became big fans of puckering up under the plant - and it's stuck ever since!
The reason there isn't one clear explanation why we kiss underneath mistletoe is because the plant has been linked to many stories and traditions over hundreds of years, and different people see it in different ways.
One of the more common meanings is that mistletoe is seen as a symbol of fertility and life - and that this could be why we kiss underneath it.
In winter, when all the trees are bare and many plants have died away, mistletoe stays green and you can still see it growing around tree branches quite happily. Destroyer of trees and other plants, the mistletoe survives, germinating berry seeds to birds' delight and human harm. Poisonous for humans, these seeds would be picked up by birds and often land firmly on tree branches with their sticky nature.
The relocation of the seeds to new tree branches is pivotal to the life cycle and survival of the mistletoe plant. While the plant may not seem the most romantic, mistletoe has become the epitome of love and affection during the holiday season.
The Greeks fawned over mistletoe for its healing powers. The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder viewed the mistletoe as a treatment for poison, epilepsy and more.
The Druids regarded the mistletoe as a symbol of vivacity, awed at how the plant blossomed in the coldest of winters. How do these beliefs correlate to romance? According to The Smithsonian , the romantic symbolization of the mistletoe comes from ancient Norse mythology, which is a body of myths of the North Germanic peoples.
In the tale, Baldur, the grandson of a Norse god, woke up convinced that each and every plant and animal on earth wanted to kill him. Fearing for Baldur's life, his mother Frigg, the goddess of love, pleaded with all the plants and animals of the world to promise not to harm her son.
Except, she forgot to secure her son's life with one living being -- the mistletoe. We all know about the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe, but do you know how that came about? In an old Norse legend, Frigga, the goddess of love, had a son named Balder who was the god of innocence and light. To protect him, Frigga demanded that all creatures—and even inanimate objects—swear an oath not to harm him, but she forgot to include mistletoe. Loki, god of evil and destruction, learned of this and made an arrow from a sprig of mistletoe.
The death of Balder meant the death of sunlight—explaining the long winter nights in the north. She decreed that it should never cause harm again but should promote love and peace instead. From then on, anyone standing under mistletoe would get a kiss. Even mortal enemies meeting under mistletoe by accident had to put their weapons aside and exchange a kiss of peace, declaring a truce for the day.
The plant contains progesterone, the female sex hormone, and perhaps this is another why it became associated with kissing. A young lady caught under the mistletoe could not refuse to give a kiss.
According to ancient custom, after each kiss, one berry is removed until they are all gone. Mistletoe is considered a symbol of life because even when its host is leafless, it is evergreen and bears fruit in the winter. When they found some growing on an oak—their most sacred tree—they considered it to be the soul of the tree.
The high priest would climb the tree on the 6th night of the new Moon after the winter solstice and cut the mistletoe with a golden sickle. Worshippers caught the pieces in their long white robes or on a white cloth spread under the tree because it was bad luck to let even the smallest piece touch the ground. The faithful would wear mistletoe charms for good luck and protection from witches and evil spirits. Sprays of mistletoe hung over the doorway ensured that only happiness could enter the home.
The Swiss traditionally shot mistletoe out of the trees with an arrow and for good luck they had to catch it in the left hand before it hit the ground. According to the language of flowers , mistletoe symbolizes overcoming difficulties. Yes and no. Mistletoe makes most of its own food but depends on the host plant for water and minerals. This can weaken and eventually kill the host tree. However, an infestation of mistletoe can be harmful. One caution—raw mistletoe berries are very poisonous and tend to fall off the plant easily.
They have been known to cause seizures or death when ingested and can be especially lethal to children and pets. See more about plants that are poisonous to pets.
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