Mistletoe

When you are under a mistletoe you kiss the person that is under the mistletoe with you.

Mistletoe was first used in songs to honor the legend of the mistletoe plant. The legend is, there was a god named Baldur, son of Frigga. Frigate told every animal and plant not to harm Baldur, but mistletoe escaped hearing this. Then Loki, enemy of Baldur, tricked the blind god of winter into shooting Baldur with an arrow that had a shaft made of mistletoe.

Hang upside down

MISTLETOE, considered sacred by the British Druids, was believed to have many miraculous powers. Among the Romans, it was symbol of peace, and, it was said that when enemies met under it, they discarded their arms and declared a truce. From this comes our custom of kissing under the mistletoe. England was the first country to use it during the Christmas season.

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree. It is most famously sung by Brenda Lee

Mistletoe is a parasite that lives off the tree.

The druids harvested mistletoe with a golden knife or sickle, according to Pliny.

Like most every Christmas tradition except attending a Christian church and singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," holly (and it's counterpart, ivy) became connected to Christmas through pagan traditions.

Several species of holly are evergreen plants, and in just about every European winter celebration tradition, evergreen plants were important--holly, ivy, mistletoe, and coniferous trees (like Christmas trees). They didn't die as the days got shorter and colder; they were a sign, in a dead winter landscape, that life would return. Holly in particular was associated with Dionysus in the Greek tradition, as well as some Pagan sun gods. In the Middle Ages, there was a tradition of presenting King Holly (seen as a male plant) with Queen Ivy (a female plant) in midwinter customs. As all these old winter traditions gathered around Christmas in the Middle Ages, so too did holly become associated with the holiday.

Nowadays, Christians often view the prickly leaves and red berries of holly as symbolic of the crown of thorns Jesus wore during his legendary crucifixion (the berries are blood drops).

The word 'mistletoe' is of uncertain etymology; it may be related to German Mist, for dung and Tang for branch, since mistletoe can be spread in the feces of birds moving from tree to tree. However, Old English mistel was also used for basil.

European mistletoe, Viscum album, is generally considered a poisonous plant that causes acute gastrointestinal problems including stomach pain, and diarrhea along with low pulse. However it has a long history of use in (herbal) medicine and has garnered a lot of attention (and studies) for its anti-cancer properties.

The name was originally applied to Viscum album (European Mistletoe, Santalaceae), the only species native in Great Britain and much of Europe. Later the name was further extended to other related species, including Phoradendron serotinum (the Eastern Mistletoe of eastern North America, also Santalaceae).

Mistletoes berries are sticky, and are spread by birds and other animals.

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The berries on mistletoe are poisonous! Do not eat!

Nobody INVENTED kissing, it just came naturally, same as sexual intercourse.

All are toxic to one level or another.

Tea can be made from Mistletoe, however it is the dried leaves only, (berries are toxic). You may need more help form a reputable source before making it, or start with less than a teaspoon of the herb and gradually increase amount to no more than a teaspoon per dose. Read all you can about it.

Mistletoe is a very interesting plant, as it is a partial parasite (a hemiparasite). As a parasitic plant, it grows on the branches or trunk of a tree and actually sends out roots that penetrate into the tree and take up nutrients.

From early times, mistletoe has been considered magical, mysterious and a very sacred plant in European folklore. It was considered to bestow life and fertility, offering protection again poison and also being an aphrodisiac.

Kissing under the mistletoe is believed to first be associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia, and later with primitive marriage rites. In the Greek festival of Saturnalia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce - "kiss and make up". Later, in the eighteenth century, the English credited mistletoe with a magical appeal, calling it a "kissing ball". At Christmas time, a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons and ornaments cannot refuse to be kissed.


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Traditionally the Christmass "Mistletoe".

But also the station Clocktower (where they meet and greet each other)

Mistletoe was held sacred by the Norse peoples and the Celtic Druids. Holly was used by the ancient Romans at the Roman Saturnalia festival. To avoid persecution, early Christians would hang holly on their doors during this festival. Therefore, mistletoe probably originated in Great Britain and holly in Italy (Ancient Rome).

Mistletoe is the modern English form of the Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) word mistilan which also referred to the parasitic plant which forms a part of Christmas decorations. The ultimate origin of the word is obscure.