![From How Mistletoe Works:
Hanging mistletoe over a doorway during the holiday season is a tradition around the world. But have you ever stopped to think about the story behind it? Where did it come from? Why do we kiss just because we’re standing underneath some shrubbery?
The word “mistletoe” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words, “mistel” (dung) and “tan” (twig) — misteltan is the Old English version of mistletoe. It’s thought that the plant is named after bird droppings on a branch [source: mwrop.org].
One of the beliefs in the early centuries was that mistletoe grew from birds. People used to believe that, rather than just passing through birds in the form of seeds, the mistletoe plant was an inherent result of birds landing in the branches of trees.
Mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens or Viscum album) is a parasitic plant that grows on trees, particularly hardwood trees like oak and apple. As mistletoe grows on a tree and uses its roots to invade a tree’s bark, which allows mistletoe to absorb the tree’s nutrients. Sometimes, mistletoe can harm a tree and cause deformities in a tree’s branches, but usually it doesn’t kill its host. If the host dies, the mistletoe dies.
In the first century, the Druids in Britain believed that mistletoe could perform miracles, from providing fertility to humans and animals to healing diseases and protecting people from witchcraft.
The Druids would cut mistletoe off oak trees in a special ceremony five days after the new moon following the winter solstice. The Druids believed that the mistletoe would become contaminated if it touched the ground, so they used a special white cloth to catch it. The Druids then sacrificed two white bulls while prayers were said, and priests gave out the mistletoe sprigs to the people, who believed they would then be kept safe from evil spirits and storms [source: Reshetiloff].
So why do we kiss under the stuff? Keep reading….](http://25.media.tumblr.com/df025225983ee37da2bb6bbc1329ff7f/tumblr_mfjvejVGHQ1rpdglno1_400.jpg)
From How Mistletoe Works:
Hanging mistletoe over a doorway during the holiday season is a tradition around the world. But have you ever stopped to think about the story behind it? Where did it come from? Why do we kiss just because we’re standing underneath some shrubbery?
The word “mistletoe” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words, “mistel” (dung) and “tan” (twig) — misteltan is the Old English version of mistletoe. It’s thought that the plant is named after bird droppings on a branch [source: mwrop.org].
One of the beliefs in the early centuries was that mistletoe grew from birds. People used to believe that, rather than just passing through birds in the form of seeds, the mistletoe plant was an inherent result of birds landing in the branches of trees.
Mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens or Viscum album) is a parasitic plant that grows on trees, particularly hardwood trees like oak and apple. As mistletoe grows on a tree and uses its roots to invade a tree’s bark, which allows mistletoe to absorb the tree’s nutrients. Sometimes, mistletoe can harm a tree and cause deformities in a tree’s branches, but usually it doesn’t kill its host. If the host dies, the mistletoe dies.
In the first century, the Druids in Britain believed that mistletoe could perform miracles, from providing fertility to humans and animals to healing diseases and protecting people from witchcraft.
The Druids would cut mistletoe off oak trees in a special ceremony five days after the new moon following the winter solstice. The Druids believed that the mistletoe would become contaminated if it touched the ground, so they used a special white cloth to catch it. The Druids then sacrificed two white bulls while prayers were said, and priests gave out the mistletoe sprigs to the people, who believed they would then be kept safe from evil spirits and storms [source: Reshetiloff].
So why do we kiss under the stuff? Keep reading….
