The Legend of Mistletoe
Have you ever wondered why people kiss under the mistletoe? First and foremost, people do it because they can! And why not? Who
couldn't use a good smack-a-roo to celebrate the season? The Greeks
were on to this idea back in the days when they used to celebrate
Saturnalia and then later as part of some primitive marriage rites.
The thinking was that
mistletoe might have the power to bestow fertility.
In Scandinavia, mistletoe
was considered a plant of peace, underwhich enemies could declare a
truce or bickering spouses could kiss and make-up. Either way, these
people had more great ideas than just Swedish Fish and Ikea, although
they rank right up there.
The English kicked it up a
notch in the 18th century, creating a kissing ball made up
of mistletoe, evergreens, ribbons and ornaments. This created what I
can only imagine was truly a sticky wicket. If a woman dared to
stand under the ball, she couldn't refuse to be kissed, no matter
what toad might rush in to take advantage of the situation. And if
no one took her up on the offer, it was believed that she couldn't
expect to marry during the following year. That only stands to
reason if you think about it. If no one wants a free kiss during the
Christmas season, they're probably not thinking of laying on on at
Easter.
The Brits were no dummies,
building an escape clause into the whole kissing ball phenomena. In
some parts of England, mistletoe was burned on the twelfth night in
hopes that certain boys and girls who kissed under it will never
marry. The lesson here would be not to kiss in front of your
parents!
Things may have changed, but one thing remains true: now is the best time of year to kiss someone under the mistletoe! Merry Christmas one and all!
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