Magical Mistletoe

Have you ever wondered about mistletoe - where it comes from, how it came to have the romantic magic it does?  I saw a bunch of it for sale somewhere recently around Portsmouth, and I got to wondering how a plant like that evolved into something with the magical powers that mistletoe symbolizes.

Did you know that mistletoe is really a parasite?  It is!  It's a parasitic shrub that's usually found in fruit trees, maples and sometimes in oaks.  And in North America, it's typically found in trees from New Jersey down to Florida.

Mistletoe has been associated with the holidays at this time of year going back for centuries, and has symbolized peace and love.

In ancient times, Druid priests thought mistletoe was a sacred plant because it grew in the air in oak trees, which was their sacred tree.  They would climb into oak trees and cut the mistletoe with golden sickles.  Worshippers below would catch it on white cloths before it touched the ground, because it was considered bad luck for even the tiniest piece of mistletoe to touch the ground.  It would then be hauled off for use in fertility rites and in cures for a variety of ailments.

In Norse mythology, the soldiers who met in battle under mistletoe would stop their fighting, kiss and make-up.  They had to put their weapons aside and exchange a kiss of peace, declaring a truce for that day.  The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe may have originated from this custom, and from the Druids, since both considered the mistletoe to be sacred.  Other beliefs in folklore say that a sprig of mistletoe placed over a baby's cradle would protect that child from goblins.  And another legend says that giving a sprig to the first cow calving after the New Year would protect the entire herd.

Greek mythology says that a bough of mistletoe plucked from an oak will guarantee safe passage to the Underworld.  In Swiss folkfore, it was shot out of trees with arrows for good luck, but had to be caught before it touched the ground.

Mistletoe has meant all kinds of things over the years.  The language of flowers shows it to be associated with overcoming difficulties.  It was believed to be a cure for epilepsy, since it doesn't ever touch the ground, it could prevent epileptics from falling during a seizure.  Native American tribes in the southwest drink a tea made from mistletoe to relax the muscles during childbirth.  Today, it's being researched as a drug to used to fight inflammation and cancer.  Who knows what it might be used for tomorrow......

In the 18th century, kissing balls made of mistletoe were popular, and continue to this day.  In the 1700's, the exchange of kisses between a man and a woman was seen as a promise to marry.  Getting caught under the mistletoe was supposed to increase a young lady's chances of marriage back then.  Their belief then was that a girl who wasn't kissed would still be single until the next Christmas.  I'm thinking "the times, they have a'changed"!!

Mistletoe was the state flower of Oklahoma until 2004, but it does still serve as the state's official floral emblem.

There's everything you could ever want to know about mistletoe!  And remember, if you're standing under the mistletoe, be mindful of what it COULD mean!!  ;-)

Here's another little snippet of Holiday History for you to read about!

Merry Christmas!!
Ann Cummings