Which winter-holiday celebration would be complete without a kiss under the mistletoe? This mysterious plant that appears above doorways and arches to catch unsuspecting lovers in a clinch adds fun and even drama to festive occasions. Ho-ho the mistletoe indeed!
Tradition … tradition!
The tradition of kissing under mistletoe began in ancient Rome during the festival of Saturnalia. Across Europe, mistletoe evokes magical, mysterious, and sacred folklore associated with fertility, life, peace, and political power. Greeks and Celtic druids celebrated its many mystical uses. In North America, author Washington Irving refers to the kissing custom in his story “Christmas Eve” from the 1820 collection of essays and stories The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Irving shares that each time a couple kissed under a sprig of mistletoe they took one of the white berries. With every berry gone, the sprig no longer had kissing power.
In Europe, Viscum album, and in North America, Phoradendron serotinum, both with green foliage and small white flowers that become white berries, typically make the holiday décor and begin to appear in stores in late November. Those that don’t may have orange or yellow leaves (dwarf mistletoe) or might resemble a jumble of twigs (called dung twig or witch’s broom) making for a less appreciated spectacle indoors.
For information on harvesting or removing mistletoe from trees, contact a certified arborist.
Licensed Real Estate Broker in Colorado since 2002. Associate Broker at Keller Williams Integrity Real Estate at Cherry Creek.