What is mistletoe anyway and how did it get to be a Christmas tradition. Why can't you find it anymore either? Whenever I hear mistletoe I get a girlish school girl giggle (I can giggle like a school girl!) and think of kissing someone....hee hee...now it's making me blush!!!
So I of course googled it - The word "Mistletoe" is derived from the Old English words, "mistel" (dung) and "tan" (twig). The plant is thought to be named after bird droppings on a branch.
Um.....dung twigs? That doesn't make me want to kiss anything!! Hmm, I have to do some further digging on this one.
Mistletoe is also said to be a sexual symbol, because of the consistency and color of the berry juice as well as the belief that it is an aphrodisiac, the “soul” of the oak from which it grows. Okay, now I'm getting on bored with this whole mistletoe thing. However, I never thought of it as a sexual symbol. Interesting. I might have to ponder this more.
The origin of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is vague. However, the tradition may have stemmed from either the Viking association of the plant with Frigga (the goddess of love) or from the ancient belief that mistletoe was related to fertility. Umm, you had me at sexual symbol...but let's continue to investigate.
The correct mistletoe etiquette is for the man to remove one berry when he kisses a woman. When all the berries are gone, there's no more kissing permitted underneath that plant. Woo hoo, I have got to find a plant with ALOT of berries!
One legend states that a couple who kisses underneath mistletoe will have good luck, but a couple neglecting to perform the ritual will have bad luck. Specifically, it is believed that a couple kissing under the mistletoe ensure themselves of marriage and a long, happy life, while an unmarried woman not kissed under the mistletoe will remain single for another year. Freakin' A are you kidding me? Why is the single girl always on the outs! Dang it...where is the positive for the single girl? Is life really just about finding a mate? Jesh! Let's continue!
Maidens may place a sprig of the plant under their pillow at night in the same manner a child places his or her lost tooth in anticipation of a visit from the Tooth Fairy. Umm, what will visit us? Tee hee. Maybe I've been going about things all wrong? Instead of exchanging teeth for money, however, the sprig of Mistletoe allows women to dream of their Prince Charming. Oh...never mind. Burning a mistletoe plant is also thought to foretell a woman’s marital bliss, or lack thereof. A mistletoe that burns steadily prophesies a healthy marriage, while fickle flames may doom a woman to an ill-suited partner. Got a match?
Well....myth solved. Apparently mistletoe is more complex than I imagined. I just like the thought of it in it's simplest form....a kissing prompting device. Who doesn't enjoy kissing? It's not a bad way to spend some time.....with someone you have a connection with, what's wrong with a good old kiss? Sometimes you just gotta pucker up and take one for the team!
Bring on the mistletoe!
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