Mistletoe (Viscum album) has been a Christmas staple for centuries, but where does this festive tradition really come from?
The Ancient Greeks used mistletoe as a cure for many ailments, from menstrual cramps to spleen disorders. Celtic Druids regarded mistletoe as a sacred symbol of vivacity, as it was able to survive the winter, and hung it up for luck. In Norse Mythology, after her son had been shot with an arrow made from mistletoe wood, the goddess Figg declared that she would kiss anyone who walked beneath a mistletoe plant, in order to stop it being used as a weapon ever again.
But it’s in the 18th century that the practice of kissing beneath the mistletoe at Christmas time began among the ‘lower orders’ and made its way up the social hierarchies, becoming a beloved tradition by the time the Victorians were solidifying what we now recognise as Christmas.
Quite a folkloric feat for a semi-parasitic plant that survives by feeding off the water and sugars stolen from larger trees, a romantic tale for a plant whose seeds are mainly spread by birds wiping their excrement onto branches, and a lovely saga for a plant who’s ingestion is poisonous to both humans and animals!
So here’s to mistletoe, one of the most unlikely heroes of our Christmas canon.
Post from Chelsea Physic Garden, London’s oldest botanic garden.
66 Royal Hospital Road
Chelsea, London SW3 4HS
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