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Under The Mistletoe
There’s nothing more evocative than meeting your special someone under the mistletoe at a Christmas party or anywhere throughout the holiday season. But what do we really know about this festive floral decoration?
The Facts
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There are 1,300 species of mistletoe throughout the world of which 20 are considered endangered. 30 species inhabit the Continental United States and Canada, including the Phoradendron. This is the most populous variety of mistletoe. It is commonly found growing on oak trees in the Eastern United States. |
The name Phoradendron is a Greek term meaning “tree thief“. It is so-named because the parasitic mistletoe leads to the premature death of its host tree. Bad as that sounds, it creates nesting sites for tree-dwelling birds and animals. The mistletoe grows in bunches known as “witches brooms” that frequently house a variety of birds and squirrels even on a living host tree.
This notoriously romantic plant has a variety of ways of spreading its seeds. The very name mistletoe comes from the Anglo-Saxon mistle-tan, meaning “dung on a twig“.
The white berries of the mistletoe contain an extremely sticky substance that tends to stick to beaks, feathers and to animal fur. This causes the temporary hosts to attempt to scrape them off on the branches of other trees, where the mistletoe can take root and grow.
Mistletoe seeds will also pass through the digestive system of these birds and become live payloads when the birds relieve themselves elsewhere.
Even without the help of hungry birds and animals, some species of mistletoe have berries that explode, delivering seeds as far away as fifty feet.
| While mistletoe berries are poisonous to humans, they are crucial foodstuffs for butterflies, birds and woodland mammals throughout the holiday season. |
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The Lore
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Everybody knows the rule about kissing under the mistletoe.
Or do we? |
As it turns out, you’re supposed to pluck a berry from the mistletoe sprig before kissing and once the berries are all gone, there’s to be no more kissing!
Dodging a mistletoe kiss is said to bring bad luck to the dodger, but clearly it’s already bad luck for the one who’s left hanging.
The tradition comes from England where mistletoe sprigs and Kissing Boughs predate the entry of the Germanic tradition of decorating evergreen trees for the holiday season.
The Kissing Bough was a ball constructed of hoops and decorated with holly, ivy, evergreen tree greens, ribbon, apples, oranges and a sprig of mistletoe complete with berries hung below it.
Mistletoe has a long history as a medicinal plant, but the fact that it blooms throughout the winter has secured its place as a popular holiday greenery.
As for the kissing, the Norse goddess of love, Frigga, swore to kiss everyone who passed by the mistletoe plant in recompense for overlooking it in the course of her son, Baldur’s, death and resuscitation.
There are two versions of the myth of Baldur’s death. One leaves him in the clutches of the Queen of the Underworld due to Loki’s continued treachery. The more pleasant version allows that Frigga’s oversight in asking mistletoe not to harm her son was corrected by her promise to kiss those who pass near the humble plant from that point forward.
| The Mistletoe Bough, aka the Kissing Bough, was immortalized in an 1830 song by Thomas Hanes Bayly and Sir Henry Bishop. |
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The song recounts an older story of a young bride who accidentally locks herself in a trunk during a game of hide & seek on her wedding day.
The Mystique
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It’s a central meeting place in many holiday romances, including my own. You just can’t find a more classic setup for two mismatched lovers than finding themselves unexpectedly under a sprig of this festive holiday greenery. |
It also creates a useful excuse for people who are already romantically entangled to steal an extra kiss or two. Despite the tradition of plucking a berry for each kiss, few people actually know about that.
People are more inclined to kiss with reckless abandon. I know I am. I don’t actually need an excuse or a decoration to kiss my wife, but I don’t pass up a chance to take advantage of any mistletoe that may be hanging overhead.
| Of course, there are those who simply take it too far. There are any variety of mistletoe hats and other suggestive accessories. I think that’s a bit crass but to each their own. |
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Certainly, there are more romantic things to do throughout the holidays than hanging around under a sprig of toxic parasite. Christmas is definitely a time for romantic feelings to come into bloom like the evergreens that symbolize the season. We can enjoy a day of caroling, skating on a frozen pond, playing in the snow or baking cookies to share with friends and family. Sitting by the fireplace or watching sappy Christmas movies can always put us in a warm, amorous frame of mind.
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For the height of romance, with or without a sprig of mistletoe, couples can enjoy a holiday getaway to someplace special. If you live in the city, you might feel the urge for a rustic retreat. If you live in the South, you might wish for a ski resort. If you live in the North, you might enjoy a tropical resort for a change. |
Anywhere you go, you’re likely to find a bit of mistletoe to take advantage of. If you do, now you know how to do it right. We wish you a merry, romantic Christmas underneath the mistletoe.
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