Christmas sees a host of century-old traditions take shape in contemporary homes, but none is quite so lighthearted (and fun) as mistletoe.
The plant, famously responsible for many kisses over the festive season, has roots in the 1st century A.D. when it was first used in ritual form by the Celtic Druids. The plant was considered a symbol of vivacity and fertility after the Druids saw it blooming throughout their cold winters. Similarly, in Norse mythology culture, mistletoe was said to represent love and peace – following the story of the goddess, Figg, who lost her son, the god Baldur, to an arrow made from the plant. Following his death, Figg vowed that Mistletoe would kiss anyone who passed beneath it – and it would never be used as a weapon again. This led to the kissing tradition as we know it today.
