First, here are some facts. A plant often misunderstood, mistletoe is actually a parasite that thrives on host trees--primarily oak & hackberry. Although ideal for completing a picturesque Yuletide setting, mistletoe berries are also extremely poisonous if consumed.
Now, on to the myths surrounding this potentially *magical* plant. Native Americans have used "mistletoe tea" to cure measles, toothaches, & even animal bites. In Staffordshire, burning mistletoe under the following year's x-mas pudding was considered to repel witches. A sprig fed to the first cow to calve after the new year, in Yorkshire legend, brought good health to the herd. In apple orchards of Worcestershire, it's believed bad luck to cut mistletoe except at midnight on Christmas Eve. A branch preserved throughout the year is thought to hold magical powers. During the summer & winter solstices, mistletoe hung over a doorway is assumed to protect a home from lightening, thunder, & evil. Finally, is the Christmas tradition we so adore. For thousands of years, the ritual of kissing underneath mistletoe has brought many fond moments! Scandinavian mythology is actually behind it all. Baldur, god of peace, was allegedly slain by Loki, god of destruction, with an arrow made from . . . yep, mistletoe. Other gods & goddesses asked for Baldur's life to be restored. After it was, his mother, Frigga, hung mistletoe & promised to kiss all who passed under it. Mistletoe, therefore, became a symbol of love & forgiveness. This, of course, began the kissing tradition suggesting that embracing under its magic will bring health, good fortune, & possibly even fertility. This legend became associated with Christmas by the Druids, who welcomed the new year with mistletoe.
Although skeptics still claim that smoochers are more likely to wind up with a cold than fall in love under the mistletoe, true believers know the actual potentials. Take a breather from all the holiday hustle & bustles. Keep the mistletoe tradition & its legend alive this year by puckering up with your sweetheart underneath its magic!!
~~~~~~
"For an instance, love can transform the world"
Go To Page: 1 2
