By Austin Price, Staff Writer
Our next winter legend is centered on the controversial and highly debated use of mistletoe. In America, mistletoe is a plant that is hung from the ceiling, used to encourage passersby of the plant to kiss one another beneath it. Initially, mistletoe came from older ceremonies of the Solstice season. Mistletoe, holly, and ivy, for instance, were gathered in their magical potency by moonlight on Winter Solstice Eve, then used throughout the year in Celtic, Baltic, and Germanic rites. Scientifically, mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that produces small white berries and grows almost exclusively in trees. It finds its home like many seeds do – through bird droppings. As the seed begins to grow, the plant attaches itself to the “host” tree in order to steal water and the essential nutrients that it needs to survive.
Based on its physical appearance and meaning, mistletoe is not that attractive of a plant. This is because it is a parasitic plant that comes from bird droppings, but the origins of the name itself are unattractive as well. It’s derived from two Anglo Saxon words “Mistel” meaning dung, and “Tan” meaning stick or branch. In simpler terms, mistletoe translates to “branch with poop.” I don’t know about you, but this is not a plant I would want to kiss someone under.
According to Ambius writer, Zack Sterkenberg, despite its concerning names and physical attributes, the mistletoe tradition holds that a man is allowed to kiss any woman standing beneath a sprig or bouquet of mistletoe, and vice versa. If a kiss is refused, bad luck befalls the person who said “No.” Now, this is an issue based on consent and general human decency but that’s a discussion for another time. The use of mistletoe in ritual form started with the Celtic Druids. This ancient civilization of people lived on the British Isles in what is now Ireland and Scotland. The Mistletoe became a sacred symbol of vivacity and fertility to the Druids after they saw it blooming in the trees during the harsh winters. It would later become a central focus of the Ritual of Oak and Mistletoes.
Another piece of the mistletoe puzzle comes from Norse mythology. In the Norse culture, the mistletoe plant was a sign of love and peace. The story goes that the goddess, Figg, lost her son, the god Baldur, to an arrow made of mistletoe. After his death, she vowed that Mistletoe would kiss anyone who passed beneath so long as it was never again used as a weapon.
As the years have gone by, mistletoe has continually been used as an omen for love and physical touch. However, its origins span from bird poop, cult-like rituals, and Norse mythology. So, next time you are being pressured into kissing an acquaintance at a Christmas party, tell them the story behind the plant above you and I guarantee a second date will not follow.