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The name mistletoe comes from two Anglo Saxon words 'Mistel' (which means dung) and 'tan' (which means) twig or stick.
Mistletoe is a plant that grows on range of trees including willow, apple and oak trees. The tradition of hanging it in the house supposedly goes back to the times of the ancient Celtic druids which valued mistletoe for its healing properties and likely were among the first to decorate with it. The berry of the mistletoe ripens in December, and the plant remains green, hence its appeal in wintertime. It is also meant 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. Thank ancient Europeans for a lot of mistletoe’s legacy…including the love-blessing granted while smooching under this viridian gem.
The origin of kissing under the mistletoe is uncertain, but it is believed the ancient Greeks celebrated the winter holiday of Kronia—a lively festival and one of the biggest of the year—with mistletoe and may have started the tradition of kissing under it.
The custom of kissing under Mistletoe took-off in England. The earliest recorded date mentioning kissing under the mistletoe is in 1784 in a musical. There was kissing under the mistletoe in the illustrations in the first book version of 'A Christmas Carol' published in 1843, and this might have helped to popularize kissing under the mistletoe. Another descriptions of this tradition, closer to home, comes from a book by Washington Irving published in 1820 (“The mistletoe is still hung up in farmhouses and kitchens at Christmas”). 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!
Now you know some facts about the mistletoe.
There are many reasons for the mistletoe throughout history—for us at Avant Garden LLC, we like the “love and friendship” meaning. Happy Holidays!
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