AHHHHH! Christmas! Probably the best part about this time of year is the instant when all the hustle and bustle is over. You have purchased that final gift, finished dressing the house in beautiful decorations, and meal plans for the special occasion are prepared, and you can finally sit down and enjoy the romance of the season. The mistletoe is the time honored tradition that highlights the romance of the season. Like all symbols, there is a point of origin and a path of changes, and the mistletoe was no exception. “One myth is that it is associated with the Goddess Frigga. The story goes that Mistletoe was the sacred plant of Frigga, goddess of love and the mother of Balder, the god of the summer sun. Balder had a dream of death which greatly alarmed his mother, for should he die all life on earth would end. Frigga went at once to air, fire, water, earth and every animal and plant seeking a promise that no harm would come to her son. But Balder had one enemy, Loki, god of evil and he knew of one of the plants Frigga had forgotten in her quest. It grew neither on the earth, or under the earth, but on apple and oak trees. It was the mistletoe. Loki made an arrow tipped with mistletoe, giving it to the god of winter, Hoder who shot it and killed Balder. For three days each element tried to bring Balder back, but only the tears of his mother Frigga brought him back. It is said the tears she cried turned into the pearly white berries on the mistletoe. In her joy, Frigga kissed everyone who passed beneath the tree on which it grew. The story ends with the decree that who should ever stand under the humble mistletoe, no harm should befall them, only a kiss.” Today, this tradition has been translated into many different Folklore. The mistletoe is considered to bestow life and fertility, protection against poison, and an aphrodisiac. To day kissing under the mistletoe is associated with the Greek Festival of the Saturnalia. In Scandinavia, mistletoe is considered as a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce . The English credit it with a certain magical appeal called a kissing ball. At Christmas time a young lady standing under the mistletoe cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. In England the Christmas mistletoe is burned on the 12th night lest all the boys and girls who have kissed under it never marry. In France, the custom linked to mistletoe was reserved for New Year’s Day. Today kisses can be exchanged under the mistletoe any time during the holiday season. Exchanging a kiss under the mistletoe, it is interpreted as a promise to marry, as well as a prediction of happiness and a long life.

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