The mistletoe has leathery, pointy, green leaves with white or red berries. Its flowers come in different colors that range from green, yellow, to bright red. Spread by birds, the mistletoe is a parasitic plant. There are two types of mistletoes — One is native to North America (American mistletoe) and Europe (European Mistletoe).

A common Christmas tradition in the U.S. is to hang mistletoe over a doorway, so that when two people stand underneath, they are supposed to kiss each other. Although mistletoe has healing properties, it is poisonous. So, when hung in the home, you have to make sure to keep it away from children and pets.

Some of the myths associated with mistletoe are that they had the power to raise the dead (Vikings in the 8th century) and they were responsible for miracles (Druids in the 1st century Britain).

The origins of kissing under the mistletoe come from two Viking beliefs: First, that it influenced fertility and second, from a story about Frigga the Norse goddess of love. After she was able to remove poisonous mistletoes from her son, Baldur, and he came back to life, she kissed everyone underneath a mistletoe out of happiness and gratitude. You can find more info on mistletoe here and here.

The correct mistletoe etiquette is as follows: After a man kisses the woman under the mistletoe, he must remove one berry from the plant. When the berries are gone, nobody can kiss under the mistletoe anymore.

There is also a belief that if an unmarried woman is not kissed under the mistletoe, she will remain single for another year.

So, next time you see mistletoe hanging over the doorway, give us a kiss and don’t forget to practice the correct mistletoe etiquette.

Check out Kalyn’s Kitchen for a list of other Weekend Herb Blogging posts on Monday. Thanks, Kalyn!

Paz

Give us a kiss

*For Weekend Herb Blogging, one can post about herbs, plants, vegetables or flowers.