Mistletoe is a traditional part of Christmas decorating in many American homes. Which is actually kind of funny as mistletoe is a parasite. Not a particularly festive or romantic thought, but true. The plant commonly grows on trees by attaching itself to the branches. It survives by penetrating the branches of the host plant and absorbing water and nutrients.
Many of our ancient ancestors revered mistletoe although the reason for their reverence can be a bit murky. The Druids held mistletoe in great esteem and believed the tree on which it was found, generally the oak, to be sacred. They believed it brought good luck to a home and warded off evil spirits because, well, we don’t know for certain why they thought this. The Celts had a ceremony whereby they used mistletoe from an oak to cure various maladies, including infertility. Several theories exist but no one really knows why they did this.
In modern times, our tradition dictates that if we and another person end up under the mistletoe at the same time, we kiss them. The smooching part possibly originated in Victorian England and probably stems from the fact that mistletoe was often associated with fertility. Or from Norse mythology where mistletoe was a sign of love and friendship. Or maybe even the ancient Greeks, who apparently considered the plant an aphrodisiac. No word on why that was so and no evidence on whether or not it actually works.
So, we don’t exactly know why we hang mistletoe on Christmas and we also don’t know why we kiss people under it. But we do know that it is a cherished holiday tradition and just one more way that Mother Nature makes our lives beautiful.