Mistletoe

Here is a little tidbit on mistletoe. Mistletoe is such a time honored tradition at Christmas, but that is not where it started. Part of my 25 blogs of Christmas.

Mistletoe
Most people have heard of mistletoe, particularly at Christmas time. It is a plant which often grows on other trees and shrubs. The white berries are full of a sticky juice.
There are lots of legends and traditions surrounding mistletoe, the most well known and popular being the kissing one. It was believed that kissing under the mistletoe would lead to marriage.
In ancient times the Druids believed that mistletoe would bring good luck and health. Although it has been used to treat some ailments, the berries are in fact poisonous and should not be touched by children. Mistletoe has also been associated with fertility, a good crop being a sign that the following season's harvest would be a good one.

And a little more:

Mistletoe was often hung over the entrances to homes of the pagans in Scandinavian countries to keep out evil spirits. An old Scandinavian myth tells of the seemingly invulnerable god, Balder, who was struck down by a dart made from mistletoe. The tears of this mother, Frigga, became the white berries of the mistletoe, and it was decreed that the plant must never again be used as a weapon. Frigga, who was the goddess of love, henceforth gave a kiss to anyone who passed under the mistletoe. It may be that our present custom of kissing under the mistletoe derives from this old legend. Legend holds that the Druids, who were members of a pagan religious order in ancient Gaul, Briton and Ireland, held the mistletoe in such reverence that if enemies met under it in the forest, a truce was declared for the day. It was their belief that only happiness would enter a home when mistletoe hung overt the door. When the Yule season approached, the mistletoe was cut down from the sacred oaks by the Prince of the Druids who used a golden sickle. The mistletoe was distributed to the people who believed it possessed powers of the protection against sickness and evil. Later among Christians it came to symbolize the healing powers of Christ.