I got one word for you. Mistletoe. People, it’s time for us to get to the bottom of this weird tradition. We are supposed to kiss the person we are with if we are both underneath this shrub-looking thing. I know humans make weird kinds of things, but this? Makes absolutely no sense. So, as I try not to go crazy stressing about finals week, come take a break with me and learn a little bit more about this plant that probably needs to have a talk to human resources.
What is it?
Mistletoe is a name for a common hemiparasitic plant. Yep, you heard that right. The plant you’re kissing under is a parasite, just like the person you’re most likely kissing with. They will attach themselves to their host, which is most likely a shrub or a tree. To which they will suck the nutrients and water out of the host plant. Now if you want to get technical, the name of the general mistletoe that we all know that has the red berries is Viscum album, which is European mistletoe. Over time, the term mistletoe is a broad name to describe a type of plate that is a parasitic plant with similar traits.
Fun Facts that Yali found:
- Some types of mistletoe are more toxic than others, such as the European mistletoe is more harmful than the American one.
- In South Asia, it’s common to use these plants in medicine.
- Mistletoe has been used in treatments for arthritis, epilepsy, and high blood pressure.
So… why do we kiss under it?
From history’s understanding, mistletoe has meant a variety of different things in different cultures. Although it maintains the same theme, it helps with reproduction. Pagan cultures used the white berries to symbolize male fertility, since it looks like semen (yes, this is for real). The ancient Romans also paired mistletoe with love and peace. They would place it over their doorways to protect one’s homes, which is like what is done now. When the Christian era came around, in the Western world, it became associated with Christmas as a decoration. Sometime along, due to its history with reproduction and love, lovers that were under the plant would be expected to kiss. This tradition grew in popularity during Victorian England with servants. There has been a variation of the tradition. One variation is that a man was allowed to kiss any woman that was under the mistletoe. If the woman refused the kiss, bad luck would be upon her (hold on, calling human resources right now). Another variation said that one berry must be plucked from the plant after each kiss. When all the berries were plucked, the kissing would be done.
Well, there you have it! Why do we as people kiss under a weird-looking plant? Make sure to remember these fun facts next time you catch yourself under one of these with your sweetie!