One of the quirkiest of the many Christmas traditions is that of kissing beneath the mistletoe. It is something that we have all heard of – but why did we start doing it in the first place?
The exact origins of the mistletoe kissing tradition are uncertain. The most common explanation is that it began during the 1700s, but it took until the following century to really gain in popularity.
This is when mistletoe plants became standard Christmas decorations throughout the UK. Curiously, it was the Victorians – who are often remembered for their prudishness – who embraced the kissing idea.
This still leaves the question of why mistletoe in particular was chosen. In many ways, it is not really the most romantic choice – mistletoe is a parasitic plant, meaning it cannot grow by itself, but only by attaching to other trees. Despite this, it has a long association with life and fertility, which may lead to the answer.
Both the Celtic druids and Norse mythology feature mistletoe in these contexts. The druids saw it as symbolising vivacity, because it bloomed even in winter. For this reason, it was gifted to people as an aid to fertility.
Norse myths tell of the goddess of love, Frigg, making the plant into a love symbol. It seems likely that these ideas were simply passed down through the ages, and led to the tradition we now recongise of kissing beneath a sprig of mistletoe at Christmas!
