A holiday tradition which spans generations is kissing under the mistletoe. A number of mistletoe varieties exist, but the American plant is called Phoradendron Flavescans.
Mistletoe has long been regarded as possessing magical powers, as far back as with the Druids in the first century and early Vikings in the 8th century. It has been known for its ability to raise people from the dead, to cure diseases, provide fertility, protect from evil spirits, as an antidote for any poison, and more. Ancient Scandinavians called it the “plant of peace”. Most recently, Suzanne Sommers has highlighted research pointing to mistletoe as a possible cure for breast cancer.
Mistletoe is actually a partial parasite…partial because it is capable of photosynthesis. But typically, it attaches to trees as a parasite. It has no ground roots. Instead it puts a root structure down into its host tree in order to extract nutrients.
But how did we come to kiss under the mistletoe? The tradition actually stems from more than one source. According to Norse legend, when Balder was killed his mother wept and her tears fell on mistletoe berries and her son was brought back to life. To express appreciation, she kissed everyone who walked underneath the mistletoe. Belief in mistletoe’s aphrodisiac and fertility enhancement abilities may have also added to the kissing tradition.
We seem to have lost one element of the historical tradition of kissing under the mistletoe. Originally, a berry was supposed to be plucked off of the mistletoe each time someone kissed under it. When the berries were all gone, the mistletoe could no longer be used. Perhaps this is because we typically use plastic mistletoe these days! This isn’t a bad idea since the berries are poisonous.