Tis the season to kiss under the mistletoe.
By Lin Johnson
Kissing under sprigs of mistletoe is a well-known holiday tradition, but its history as a symbolic herb dates back thousands of years.
Many ancient cultures prized it for healing properties. The Greeks used it as a cure for everything from menstrual cramps to spleen disorders, and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder noted it could be used as a balm against epilepsy, ulcers and poisons.
The romantic overtones most likely started with the Celtic Druids of the 1st century A.D. Because mistletoe could blossom even during the winter, they saw it as a symbol of vivacity, and they administered it to humans and animals for restoring fertility.
Mistletoe’s associations with fertility and vitality continued through the Middle Ages. Just how it went from sacred herb to holiday decoration remains a mystery. The kissing tradition first caught on among servants in England. Custom said men were allowed to steal a kiss from any woman caught standing under the mistletoe, and refusing was considered bad luck.
Another tradition instructed the merrymakers to pluck a single berry from the mistletoe with each kiss, and to stop once they were all gone.
Advanced Garland County Master Gardener, Lin Johnson, volunteers with GC Master Gardeners of the UofA Div. of Agriculture, Cooperative Ext. Service. Master Gardeners pool skills and resources to improve home horticulture, stimulate interest in plants and gardening, and encourage beautification. For more information, call 501-623-6841 or email adykes@uaex.edu. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution.
