In my opinion, mistletoe is the strangest plant to associate with Christmas, but it abounds with legends of special powers and how it became connected with the holiday.
There are several types of mistletoes and hundreds of species. The mistletoes of Europe are Viscum species, while the mistletoes of North America are Phoradendron species. Both these mistletoes are semiparasitic plants with green leaves.They grow into the tree to obtain water, minerals and a sturdy support and in doing so damage many trees in warmer climates. The seeds are spread by birds that pluck the sticky, translucent white mistletoe berries. These stick to beaks and feet and are subsequently cleaned off by scraping them on the nearest tree trunk. The seed germinates and penetrates the host.
Legends suggest that the Druids worshiped mistletoe as the magical healer that offered protection from witchcraft and sorcery.
In Europe, mistletoe grows chiefly on oak trees. It is an established fact that oaks are struck by lightning more frequently than any other kind of tree. Myths linking mistletoe with the supernatural, the sun and celestial fire may have come from this phenomenon. Legend has it they were harvested with golden sickles and never allowed mistletoe to touch the ground.
Another legend relates that Freyja, the Norse equivalent of Venus the Goddess of Love, had her son Balder protected against harm from fire, water, air and earth.
Apparently, Freyja neglected mistletoe. Because it grows on trees without ever touching the ground, a clever but evil foe made an arrow from the branch of mistletoe and shot Balder. Although Freyja revived her son, she then made the remorseful mistletoe promise never to cause harm again. Since then the plant has become a symbol of peace between enemies and friends.
Early Christians condemned mistletoe as evil and pagan, but the custom was integrated into a Christmas ritual of a holy kiss of peace and pardon, passed by priests throughout the congregation. This custom was later construed to establish the right of men to kiss women found standing under the mistletoe.
The custom of kissing under the mistletoe caught on in England long before it became popular in Puritan America.
Washington Irving wrote in his Sketch Book of "one berry and one kiss." A man could kiss a woman under the mistletoe if he picked a berry each time he puckered up. Once all of the berries were gone, the kissing stopped. Mistletoe was sold by the ball, which was the entire plant cut from the tree. These often weighed 30 lbs. or more and so there were probably plenty of berries to go around.
Horticulturally speaking, there is no basis for the legends surrounding the mistletoe plant. Kissing under the mistletoe is a fun custom but ancient legends aside, it has no magical powers. The only magic comes from what is conjured up in the hearts and minds of the participants.
-- By Larry Sagers