Twelve Days of Christmas: Day Five - Mistletoe

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows just about anywhere birds take its seed, and its berries are poisonous if eaten. So why do we kiss underneath this plant?

Because of the fact that mistletoe seemed to spring out of nowhere, it was yet another symbol of fertility to ancient Anglo-Saxons. Due to this symbolic nature, and the thought that mistletoe was an aphrodisiac, it was said that if a woman were kissed underneath a sprig of the plant, she would be married in the next year. Proper tradition says that after kissing, the man should plug a berry from the sprig. After all the berries are plucked, the fertile nature of the plant is gone, and the kissing is over. It is also considered bad luck not to observe the tradition if caught underneath the mistletoe.

This tradition seeped its way into many different cultures. It was practiced in Scandinavia, Greece, France, and may even been a part of Saturnalia and Yule. Today, people put mistletoe in their homes to observe a fun tradition that many either take part in or seriously avoid, depending on who ends up standing with them underneath the plant.