Christmas Mistletoe

Mistletoe has been associated with love and peace since ages. Even two hundred years before the birth of Christ, mistletoe was used by Druids in the celebration of winter season. They believed in the magic of mistletoe. It was thought to have healing powers, which could cure anything and everything, ranging from female infertility to poison ingestion. Even enemies stopped fighting and declared a temporary ceasefire whenever they happened to chance upon mistletoe. Know more about the Christmas mistletoe holly with the help of the following lines:

Mistletoe History
The history and origin of the Christmas mistletoe can be traced back to the ancient Scandinavian custom as well as to the Norse myth. The Scandinavian people believed mistletoe to be a plant of peace. Even if enemies happened to pass beneath the plant, they had to lay down their arms and call truce atleast until the next day.

Kissing Under the Mistletoe
The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is said to be associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia. The use of mistletoe was also found in the primitive marriage rites, as it was believed that mistletoe had the power to confer fertility. Another belief connected with the mistletoe was that it possessed 'life-giving' powers.

Mistletoe Facts
The sprig of mistletoe plant has been associated with the Christmas holiday since ages. The power of mistletoe is not unknown to anyone; it makes anyone and everyone kissable around the holiday season - whether it is a friend or a relative or even a stranger.

Mistletoe Plant
The Christmas mistletoe plant is a hemi parasite i.e., a partial parasite. It grows either on the branches or on the trunk of a tree. Being a parasite, it penetrates its roots into the host tree and consumes all its nutrients. However, mistletoe can also grow individually and produce its own food with the help of photosynthesis. Still, it is usually found growing on trees, as a parasitic plant. There are basically the following two types of mistletoes:

American Mistletoe
The American mistletoe, scientifically known as Phoradendron flavescens, is native to North America. It is found growing on trees, right from New Jersey to Florida and is the mistletoe species that is mainly associated with the kissing tradition of Christmas.

European Mistletoe
The European mistletoe, Viscum album, is a green shrub with small, yellow flowers and white, sticky berries. It is seen growing, usually, on apple trees and, rarely, on oak.

Tradition
Mistletoe has been associated with many properties since ages. Among its numerous qualities is the power to bestow life and fertility as well as to cure a person of poison intake. The custom of using mistletoe to decorate houses at Christmas dates back to the time of the Druids. The concept of the kissing under the mistletoe is said to be a variation of the kissing ball tradition of the 18th century.