Why Do People Kiss Under The Mistletoe?
It is expected that you might be wondering why people kiss under the Mistletoe. Mistletoe is a plant traditionally used for Christmas decorations, which people quite often hang in their doorway. It is believed that every person who meets under the Mistletoe is supposed to kiss. If you do not, it is considered unlucky and rude.
On the other hand, Mistletoe was not as popular in the past as it now is today. As a matter of fact, its very name is surprising, in terms of being a plant that would motivate a kiss. Hanging Mistletoe is a tradition that is considered to be one of the funniest. Even though the precise origin of this practice is not known, it has a variety of historical origins that have been involved in both Christian and pagan practices. One of the favorite traditions of Santa Claus during Christmas time, and certainly a favorite habit of people all over the world is that of using Mistletoe. If a man catches his special someone or wife under the Mistletoe, it is expected that he’ll proceed to kiss his loved one. Of course, this is an incredible habit for all other traditions during Christmas time.
In fact, this tradition began according to a very old myth coming from the Nordic people who lived in Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Many centuries ago, the goddess Frigga had a son and his name was Balder. He was believed to have been killed by an arrow created out of Mistletoe. His mother was very miserable because her son died so she cried and cried. However, white berries poured down instead of tears. The white berries were no ordinary berries, and they truly worked in order to bring back life into Balder by stripping the poison that came from the Mistletoe. This made Frigga very happy and this is the reason for the tradition of why people kiss under Mistletoe to this very today. Of course, the Nordic people are not the only earliest folks who believed and used the supernatural powers of Mistletoe. Actually, the Druids from the area that we now know as the United Kingdom were also big believers in Mistletoe. They hung this evergreen plant on their front doors since they thought it would shelter them from goblins, evil spirits, and also the less mythical phenomenon of thunder and lightning.
Put all of these beliefs and traditions together, combine them with the Christmas traditions of Santa Claus, and you will have the modern tradition of today’s surrounding kissing under Mistletoe. The question of Why do people kiss under the Mistletoe can be attributed to the beliefs and traditions of ancient people, which have been carried down from generation to generation.
