Mistletoe: Did You Know?

The Scandinavian goddess of love has a traditional attachment to mistletoe, hence our tradition of kissing and being kissed while standing beneath it!

The origins of the significance of mistletoe go back to pagan times, to the Dark Ages of Greece, when it is said that the god of Wine and Chaos, Bacchus, came from the east at the head of an entourage consisting of animals and female celebrants of the pagan mysteries.

Mistletoe was especially dear to Bacchus, who benefited from its magical protective properties. As Bacchus came to represent drinking and merrymaking, and less chaos and "bacchic frenzy," so too did mistletoe weave its way into Western consciousness as symbolic of "letting the good times roll."

Outlawed in the Middle Ages and Puritan England because of its pagan past, mistletoe found its way back into the Christmas tradition during the Victorian era, when decorative Christmas trees the way we know them today rose to prominence.

So there you have it, the history of mistletoe. Something to think about next time you find yourself under its red berries and green leaves!