During walking my dog on Sunday I have found a lot of mistletoe near my flat. Kissing under mistletoe during Christmas is very popular in my country.
Mistletoe is a plant that grows on willow or in others trees. The tradition of hanging it in the house goes back to the times of the ancient Druids. It is supposed to possess mystical powers which bring good luck to the household and wards off evil spirits. It was also used as a sign of love and friendship in Norse mythology and that's where the custom of kissing under Mistletoe comes from.
When the first Christians came to Western Europe, some tried to ban the use of Mistletoe as a decoration in Churches, but many still continued to use it! York Minster Church in the UK used to hold a special Mistletoe Service in the winter, where wrong doers in the city of York could come and be pardoned.
The custom of kissing under Mistletoe comes from England. The original custom was that a berry was picked from the sprig of Mistletoe before the person could be kissed and when all the berries had gone, there could be no more kissing!
The name mistletoe comes from two Anglo Saxon words 'Mistel' (which means dung) and 'tan' (which means) twig or stick! So you could translate Mistletoe as 'poo on a stick'!!! Not exactly romantic is it!
Mistletoe in the tree.
'
Ha ha - yes not very romantic at all - "poo on a stick".
ReplyDeleteHaving never been under the mistletoe I now know why - ha ha.
Thanks for the warning.
Cheers
Colin
Colin I am going to send you a piece of it!!!
DeleteI'm afraid you can't send your mistletoe to me.
DeleteIt would be confiscated and burnt by Australian Customs.
We have VERY strict laws in what comes into Australia.
Anyhow as it grows on willow trees, I suppose it grows on
our "weeping Willow trees" which you find along the river banks
more so in the cooler southern states.
I think your postal authorities in your home city would know of this
and advise you that sending mistletoe from Poland to Australia is
prohibited. You could check as a matter of interest?????
Cheers
Colin
Thanks for the story of mistletoe. Exactly today the men here at the farm in Austria went and got some of it down from tall trees. It is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteDina it is a very popular custom in Europe
Deletewe get it here, too.
ReplyDeletenice to know it
DeleteWhile here we know about the tradition, I don't think anyone ever picks mistletoe.
ReplyDeleteAndrew so it is strange
DeleteNow I know and I know how it looks like! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLei you are welcome
DeleteHello!:) An interesting read about Mistletoe, and I always have at least one sprig hanging up at Christmas and New year, but I have never seen it growing on a tree.
ReplyDelete