We have all heard of Christmas mistletoe and some have even fallen victim to the tradition that surrounds it. Mistletoe is a peculiar plant which often grows on other trees and shrubs with white berries. There are plenty of legends and traditions surrounding mistletoe, but the most famous and popular is the belief that kissing under the mistletoe leads to marriage.
But where did this Christmas tradition come from, here are a few theories:
• A popular theory is that the tradition originated in the ancient Babylonian-Assyrian Empire. Single women apparently stood under mistletoe hung outside the temple for the Goddess of beauty and love, if a man approached them while they stood there, they were expected to marry him.
• In Scandinavia, the mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce or fighting spouses could kiss and make up. Whenever enemies met under the mistletoe in the forest, they had to lay down their arms and observe a truce until the following day.
• In old England, young men would kiss women standing under the mistletoe, and would pluck a berry from the bush after each kiss. After all the berries were gone, it was bad luck to continue kissing under that mistletoe bush. During this period a kiss was taken very seriously – it was usually seen as a promise of marriage.
Nowadays, the custom of hanging a ball of mistletoe from the ceiling, and exchanging kisses beneath it, is a fun and loving practice.
What do you think about this little piece of trivia? Share with us on Facebook if you have heard of any other interpretations of the Christmas Mistletoe tradition.