For The Love of Mistletoe

That this most popular symbol of the holiday season is in fact a parasitic plant growing on the branches or trunks of trees. There are two different kinds of mistletoe used as Christmas decorations.

The one that we smooch under comes from North America and grows on trees from New Jersey to Florida. Then we have its European cousin which is a green shrub upon which you can find small, yellow flowers and white sticky berries which are poisonous. It was used as a ceremonial plant by early Europeans and was thought to have mystical powers right down through the ages. So it made its way into European folklore pages and was looked upon to be a magical, mysterious, and sacred plant.

One that could bring about life and fertility and protect against poisons and an aphrodisiac. The ancient Celtic Druids Thought much of the mistletoe that grew upon the sacred oak. Thus when came the sixth night of the moon one could see Druid priests in white robes cutting mistletoe of oak with a golden sickle.

During the sacrifice of two white bulls and prayers. Those who received this mistletoe would live and prosper. So as the years rolled by the mistletoe was looked upon as the ”soul” of the oak gathered at mid-summer and winter solstices. The mistletoe was used to decorate homes at Christmastime.

During the Middle Ages and onwards Mistletoe was hung from ceilings to ward off evil spirits. Placed over houses and stable doors. Per European tradition to prevent witches from entering. Amazingly enough, the mistletoe was also thought to be able to extinguish fires because it appeared on trees during a sudden flash of lightning.

So when did we begin to kiss under the mistletoe?

This tradition has everything to do with Saturnalia a Greek festival and later primitive marriage rites. The Scandinavians had a different view of this plant they looked upon it as a symbol of peace underneath which enemies could declare truth and fighting spouses could kiss and make up

The English have an odd tradition

Coming from the eighteenth-century

It would be upon Christmastime

That a young lady would stand beneath the mistletoe

If kissed while standing there

This kiss would mean deep romance

Or lasting friendship and goodwill

However if while standing there no kiss came

The young lady couldn’t hope to marry in the New Year

There is another tradition in which

The mistletoe is burned on the twelfth night

So that everyone who had kissed under it

Would be sure to marry

And so wherever we are

It is so very common to hang a sprig of mistletoe

From strategic points on ceilings and in doorways

For couples in love these sweet kisses

Mean the promise of marriage

And predictions of happiness and long life

The French would leave their mistletoe kissing

Till it was New Year’s Day

This brings us to a special legend

Which I’ll try to retell as best I can

Considering the mistletoe and mystical powers

We have the legend about Goddess Frigga

Now it appears that the mistletoe

Was Frigga’s sacred plant

And Frigga herself?

She was the goddess of love

And mother to Balder who was the god of the summer sun

And so it came to be

That Balder had a frightening dream of death

Thus making Frigga quite alarmed

That should her son die

All life on earth would come to an end

So to be able to prevent this

Frigga appealed to air, fire, water, earth

As well as all animals and plants

To give her solemn promise that no harm come to Balder

However alas poor fellow

He had a wicked enemy – Loki

Who was the god of evil

It was in his knowledge

That there was a plant that Frigga had overlooked

It was a plant which didn’t grow on or under the Earth

Instead, it grew on apple and oak trees

This was the plant known as the mistletoe

Thus Loki worked up an evil plan

Out of the mistletoe, he made an arrow-tip

Then gave it to Hoder the blind god of winter

When this arrow tip was shot

It struck Balder dead

And as it was meant to be

The sky became a very pale shade

As everything on earth and even in heaven

Cried for the wondrous summer sun god

So it came to be

Three days the elements

Struggled to return Balder to life

When everything seemed so in vain

It was Frigga who saved the day

As the legend tells it

The tears she had shed for her son

Became pearly, white berries

Upon the mistletoe plant

Balder was thus restored

And in her great joy

Frigga would kiss each and everyone

Who passed beneath the tree

Upon which the mistletoe grew

And so it has become

That whoever stands beneath the mistletoe

Will have no harm befall them

But will receive a kiss as a token of love