Never Been Kissed...under the mistletoe

Mistletoe...isn't that a weird word?

Anywho...it's true i have never been kissed under a mistletoe.  

Isn't that terrible?! Or is it?  

Anywho in the interest of finding out more about Christmas/holiday traditions...

i went searching online for some history behind the mistletoe.

(disclaimer: the internet is NOT the best place for accurate info all the time but i did my best!)

Source

Thanks to the blog Garden of Eaden for the awesome information.

First of all did you know that the mistletoe is actually a plant which is parasitic?

Parasitic: something that resembles a biological parasite in dependence on something else for existence or support without making a useful or adequate return.

Okay interesting enough however how did a parasite become something we relate to passion, 

joy and the art of making out kissing.  

Well according to my research, in Medieval England, if a woman was wishing to conceive, 

she would wrap a mistletoe around their wrists and waists to increase her fertility.  

In Northern France, the plant is known as Herb de la Croix because it's thought that

 Christ's cross was made from mistletoe wood.   

As a punishment in the role of Christ's death, the mistletoe was seen as cursed 

and no longer welcomed on God's earth.  This explanation relates to mistletoe 

was a parasite dependent on other trees for its life.

I know right...i had no idea! 

In ancient Scandinavia, Norsemen saw the mistletoe as a plant of peace.  

They revered it so much that they happened to engage in battle beneath it 

they would lay down their weapons and maintain a truce until the following day.  

It's believed the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe arose from these legends 

which went hand-in-hand with a Norse story called, the myth of the Baldur.    

The Myth of Baldur goes something like this:

Baldur's death and resurrection is one of the most fascinating of all the old Norse myths and is believed to be at the conception of mistletoe being regarded as a "kissing" plant. 

Baldur's mother was the Norse goddess Frigga, and when he was born she made every plant, 

animal and inanimate object promise not to harm him.

For some unknown reason she overlooked the fated mistletoe plant and the mischievous Norse god of the Norse Loki decided to take advantage of this. In a tale of treachery the malevolent trickster 

Loki discovered her oversight and fashioned a dart made from the plant. 

Then, in a cruel trick, placed it in the hand of Baldur's brother Hodor - the God of Darkness - and offered to guide his hand while teaching him to shoot darts. As he did so, he guided the dart directly into Baldur's heart. Frigga's tears of mourning were so wretched that the hapless mistletoe took pity on her. 

From that time on it bore milky white berries that were formed from her tears. This was the demise of Baldur- a vegetation deity in the Norse myths - and it was the sadness of his death that brought winter into the world. Eventually other Norse gods took pity on her and benevolenty restored Baldur life back to him.

Overjoyed, Frigga pronounced the mistletoe sacred and ordered that it should be used to bring love into the world instead of death. Complying with Frigga's wishes, any two people passing under the mistletoe would now celebrate Baldur's resurrection by kissing underneath it. 

I know, i had no idea!  

The myth of Baldur continued into eighteenth-century England where kissing under the mistletoe became prevalent.  Apparently one is supposed to remove the berries off the mistletoe after each time a couple kisses underneath.  Once all the berries are gone...the privilege of kissing ceases. 

I had a lot of fun looking into the reason behind the mistletoe 

and i actually like the story of Baldur (& Frigga).  

And now excuse me because i need to go find a mistletoe and  make out kiss Mr. Pancakes all over!

Questions of the Day

Have you been kissed under the mistletoe?

Did you know about the myth of Baldur?

Source

Didn't want to scare anyone BUT it's 10 days before Christmas!