According to English custom, a man is allowed

kiss a girl if it's Christmas time

will catch her under mistletoe branch,

suspended from the ceiling or chandelier.

mistletoe in the culture of European peoples it survived paganism and became a favorite plant in modern times as a symbol of the Christmas holiday. The "Christmas Mistletoe" or "Branch of Kisses" was the main traditional Christmas decoration in England, before the spread of the Christmas tree in the second half of the 19th century.

Traditional English decoration has the shape of a double ring or sphere with a wire frame, which is completely covered with greenery: mistletoe, ivy, holly. Red apples, pears or oranges can be tied with ribbons and hung in the center. In addition, candles could be attached to the frame. Another form of "Christmas mistletoe" was only the upper part of the hemisphere.

mistletoe- a sacred evergreen plant of the Druids from 1 thousand years BC, growing on tree branches, in different traditions it acts as a symbol of life. In the middle of winter it blooms with yellow flowers and produces white berries. The Celts and ancient Romans used it on the days of the winter solstice as a sacred plant (remember the lines of Joseph Brodsky: “The province celebrates Christmas./The governor’s palace is entwined with mistletoe...” White mistletoe, like oak, was an object of superstitious veneration in ancient times.

The reason for the worship of the Magi of the ancient Gauls, according to Pliny, was that everything growing on the oak tree was considered divine. At the same time, the mistletoe had no roots in the ground, and it was not clear where it came from on the tree

In Switzerland, mistletoe was called “thunder broom” - they thought that it appeared on trees from lightning. In Bohemia, they believed that a “thunder broom”, burned in a fire, should serve as protection for the house from lightning. Mistletoe played not only the role of a lightning rod, but also a universal master key: it was credited with the ability to open any lock.

But its most precious property was protection from magic and witchcraft.

The Walo blacks of Senegambia wore mistletoe leaves as a talisman, “grigri,” to protect against wounds in war. In Austria, a branch of mistletoe was placed on the threshold of a house to get rid of nightmares. In Sweden, a bunch of mistletoe was hung from the ceiling of houses, stables and cowsheds so that the troll could not harm either people or animals.

Mistletoe is associated with fertility, wealth, protection and healing. It symbolizes immortality and rebirth. There was a custom to cut mistletoe during the summer and winter solstices, associated with life and death.

The Celtic Druid priests believed that mistletoe is the golden branch of the Tree of Life, which seals the union of the divine and the earthly. Roman writers (Caesar, Pliny the Elder, etc.) describe the Druid ritual of collecting mistletoe surrounded by mystery. The plant was plucked on the full moon or new moon, without the help of iron, sometimes with a golden sickle, and it should not touch the ground. Mistletoe plucked in this way protected a person from any witchcraft; with its help it was possible to find underground treasure. It was believed that a drink made from mistletoe provided a person with invulnerability, healed ulcers, and helped women get rid of infertility. According to legend, mistletoe was born from a lightning strike on an oak branch, so mistletoe growing on an oak tree is endowed with especially healing properties, and the juice of its berries is food for the body and spirit.

The Celts' veneration of mistletoe may have been reflected in Virgil's Aeneid, where Aeneas, on the advice of the Sibyl, obtains a branch of mistletoe, sacrifices it to Proserpine and ends up in the underworld to meet his father.

The pagan origin of the worship of mistletoe is confirmed by the fact that Christian priests for a long time did not allow it to be brought into the church. Even today, mistletoe (as well as holly, ivy, and pine needles) is primarily used to decorate residential buildings, while “other greenery—holly, ivy, and boxwood—adorn both houses and churches.”

Only in England, for which the cult of mistletoe is especially characteristic, are both residential buildings and churches decorated with its curly branches at Christmas. The mystical respect for mistletoe that still exists among the English is based on the idea of ​​eternal life.

The still popular tradition of kissing under mistletoe branches at Christmas, according to some opinions, originates in Old Norse mythology, where mistletoe was subordinate to the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, Freya. Enemy warriors, having met under the mistletoe, had to lay down their arms before the end of the day. Other researchers believe that it comes from wedding ceremonies that were traditionally celebrated during the Saturnian winter festivals in Ancient Rome - in their place with the advent of Christianity, Christmas began to be celebrated

As part of its struggle to eradicate paganism, the Christian Church tried to ban the use of mistletoe, but was unsuccessful. And nowadays, European Christmas markets offer thin branches with inconspicuous yellowish berries, under which couples in love kiss with pleasure at Christmas (American lovers kiss under yellowish foradendron (Phoradendron serotinum), a local relative of mistletoe, with wider leaves and the same as in mistletoe, berries).

The legend of the kiss under the mistletoe originates from the Scandinavian myth about the god Balder, the son of Odin and Freya. The mother loved Balder so much that she made all the plants swear to protect him. Unfortunately, she forgot to take an oath from the mistletoe, and Loki, the god of evil, killed Balder with a dart made from mistletoe. The gods resurrected Balder, and the mistletoe promised that it would never harm their pet if they protected it from the touches of the earth. The gods gave the mistletoe under the protection of Freya, the goddess of love - hence the custom of kissing under the mistletoe

The emblem of the Hays was mistletoe. It was believed that if the oak fell, then the fall of the Hays was inevitable. And any representative of this family would certainly bring disaster upon himself if he happened to kill a falcon (the oak tree stood next to the Falcon Stone) or cut down a branch of an old oak tree. But it was also believed that the mistletoe branch that one of the Hays would cut on All Hallows' Day, going around three times around the tree in the direction of the sun, it will be the best talisman against witchcraft damage and will save its owner from death in battle.

As we see, the man brings home a Christmas tree (presumably a family one, for the children), and the young lady brings mistletoe to hang in the house and gain the right to kiss. Any girl who accidentally found herself under a hanging mistletoe branch was allowed to kiss anyone. This is where the name “kissing branch” comes from.

In a number of traditions, the extraction of Mistletoe on Christmas Eve is still a ritual, to a certain extent reminiscent of the Druids. At the same time, there are beliefs that cutting a Mistletoe branch is dangerous.

The Druids plucked mistletoe following complex rituals: on the sixth day of the moon, a priest in a white robe climbed a tree and, cutting the plant with a golden sickle, laid it on a piece of white cloth. The mistletoe had to be plucked without the use of iron, and when plucked, it had to not touch the ground.

The custom of kissing under the mistletoe quickly left the shores of England. ... Mistletoe branches are used to decorate houses outside and inside; its branches (or figurines made from mistletoe) are hung in livestock buildings to drive out evil spirits and witches, etc.

According to numerous beliefs, the “golden branch” of Mistletoe can help find a golden treasure or open a lock, and a drink from Mistletoe provides a person with invulnerability. The use of Mistletoe in magic and folk medicine is widely known, where it belongs to the plants of John the Baptist and is considered an all-healing agent.

In his book The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols, J.S. Cooper suggested that since mistletoe is neither a tree nor a shrub, and thus neither one nor the other, it symbolizes "freedom from all restrictions, so that anyone under this plant receives freedom from restrictions")

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Mistletoe was the first plant adopted as a symbol of an American state - this happened in 1893 in Oklahoma.

Interesting facts about MISTLETOLE:

Mistletoe berries attract birds such as thrushes, which are seed dispersers of the plant. The bird pecked at these berries, and its beak became sticky. Having flown to a nearby tree, she cleaned her beak on a branch and left a sticky seed stuck to her beak on it. Or a few hours later, having flown far from the place of the feast, the same bird left droppings on a branch of some tree. And in the droppings there is a mistletoe seed, which has not lost its viability due to the fact that it had to pass through the bird’s intestines

In the spring, when the tree's juices flow faster through the vessels, the mistletoe seed will germinate. No matter how the seed is oriented, the root of the seedling will definitely bend towards the branch - a barely noticeable heat emanates from it, it casts a light shadow, and the mistletoe seedling perceives this heat and this shadow better than a sensitive device. Having come into contact with the bark, the root begins to expand into a round dense plate. Soon, a strong, needle-sharp, sucker-like process grows from its center, which penetrates the bark of the branch and gradually reaches the wood. This shoot cannot penetrate into the wood itself. But since new layers grow annually on the outside of the wood, the sucker eventually finds itself immersed in them, and the entire mistletoe plant is tightly attached to the branch. In addition, already in the second year of life, the root shoot begins to branch, spreading out in strands between the bark and wood and spreading further and further inside the branch that sheltered it

.

Nothing happens outside on the branch in the first year. But on the second, when the sucker root begins to deliver water and minerals to the mistletoe from the host plant, a leafy shoot appears on the branch, growing stronger every year and turning into a green bush

Kiss under the mistletoe - there will be love all year long !

Many of us are familiar with the tradition of hanging mistletoe from the ceiling or on door frames at Christmas. This is a kind of marking of “kissing places”. But where does this tradition originate?

There are few plants more deeply associated with ancient folklore and mythology than mistletoe. And few plants carry elements of this mythology to this day. But at Christmas, millions of people kiss under mistletoe, be it real or artificial.

Why mistletoe is so important

The origins of folklore associated with mistletoe are not difficult to find. On winter days one could see lush mistletoe bushes, decorated with white berries, growing directly on tree branches and as if they had no roots of their own. People had the impression that they were from another world.

Mistletoe has become a powerful symbol of the continuity of life. She enlivened the winter landscape, which would have looked dead without her. Gradually, extraordinary properties began to be attributed to mistletoe, such as bringing the dead back to life and healing from incurable diseases. They believed that mistletoe could indicate the place where the treasure was buried, and even scare away witches.

Fertility symbol

The milky white berries have become inextricably linked with fertility. In many places, complex rituals began to be performed that were supposed to ensure the fertility of crops and livestock throughout the year. During such rituals, bunches or branches of mistletoe were intertwined with hawthorn and burned. The smoke from these bushes served as an omen for the next year. For example, a burning bush had to be moved across twelve furrows left from the first sowing of that year. If the fire went out before the ritual was completed, it was considered a very bad omen. Such rituals were accompanied by a feast with alcohol and, of course, kisses. Most likely, this is why mistletoe and a kiss at Christmas turned out to be closely related.

How does it spread?

The white fruits of mistletoe prove unattractive to many birds, which prefer red, orange, blue or black berries. Almost the only birds that consume them are blackbirds. Pairs of blackbirds very often defend their territory, where a supply of berries remains. However, they do not distribute mistletoe seeds very effectively. Blackbirds eat whole fruits, together with seeds, which may subsequently end up far from places suitable for their germination.

Blackheads turn out to be much more effective. They eat the skin and pulp, but leave the seeds by wiping their beaks on the bark of trees. This is ideal for mistletoe, creating good conditions for its germination. In recent years, the number of blackheads that migrate for the winter to areas where mistletoe grows has increased. This can be very beneficial for the plant.

There is evidence that mistletoe only grows in certain areas, and this may be due to the presence of blackheads. Although it can be a combination of factors, for example, some regions are better at protecting their gardens from mistletoe than others.

Food product

Only a few other animal species use mistletoe as food. And this is not surprising, given the toxic alkaloids contained in this plant.

Eight species of invertebrates feed on mistletoe, six of which consume only its berries. These are several beetles and weevils, but the most famous is the marbled moth. This is a small spotted-winged moth whose habitats are limited to south-west England and Wales, where mistletoe is most common. Although the coloration of this moth is very beautiful, it serves as effective camouflage.

Common names: witch's nest, witch's broom, mistletoe, bird glue (Birdlime, because of the gluten contained in the berries and attracts birds), winter seeds, goat nuts, bird nuts, oak berries, herb of the cross (in French, Herbe de la Croix , the name reflects the beliefs that the cross of Jesus Christ was made from mistletoe wood), "panacea" (all-heal, English), jemiola (Polish), atsystyrva (Abkhazian), mgamurch (Armenian), pitri (Georgian).

Botanical name: Viscum album L.
Pharmaceutical: mistletoe herb - Visci heiba (formerly: Herba Visci albi).
Generic name: from the Latin viscum - bird glue; Latin albus - white.
In ancient manuscripts -
Planet Earth.
Zodiac sign: Taurus, Libra.
Element: Air.
Aura: warm.
Language of flowers: “kiss me”, affection, overcoming difficulties.
Main properties: fertility, healing, luck, protection from evil.

Mistletoe - a sacred plant of ancient Europeans

Another plant with which beautiful Christmas beliefs and rituals are associated is mistletoe. Mistletoe is a sacred plant and since time immemorial it has been an object of superstitious worship in Europe.

As follows from the famous text of Pliny, she was, in particular, worshiped by the Druids. They considered this plant holy and believed that it could heal any disease and protect from evil. They attributed especially strong qualities to those rare plants that they found on oak trees.

In ancient Irish writing, mistletoe was a sign of healing and development of the spirit. Later, the plant took pride of place in witchcraft and magic: it was credited with the power of a talisman, a love spell, as well as a means to increase fertility and successful hunting. Women wishing to conceive wore sprigs of mistletoe around their waists or wrists.

National names for mistletoe include "oak berries" in Russian, crucifix herb (Herbe de la Croix, reflecting the belief that the cross of Jesus Christ was made from mistletoe wood) in French, and bird glue (Birdlime, due to the gluten contained in in berries and attracting birds) and panacea (all-heal) in English.
The healing properties of mistletoe

Medieval healers considered mistletoe a panacea and a universal antidote. For a long time, mistletoe was used as a cure for epilepsy.

In modern medicine, young shoots and leaves of mistletoe are used as part of hemostatic drugs, drugs to lower blood pressure and reduce the activity of the central nervous system.

Mistletoe is especially popular as a Christmas plant in Europe. Every year, Europeans buy an elegant sprig of mistletoe and, bringing it into the house, hang it somewhere higher. A wonderful tradition associated with this plant is to kiss each time you pass under it.

The most common species in western and southern Europe is mistletoe (V. album), a plant with thin branches, narrow paired leaves and yellowish-white berries. In the north and east of Europe, colored mistletoe (V. coloratum Nakai) is found, very similar to white mistletoe, only with yellow-orange berries. Each mistletoe berry contains only one seed.

Mistletoes take root and grow into spherical bushes high in the branches of old trees. Mistletoe takes moisture and nutrients from the tree on which it grows, sending its roots deep under the bark of the “host”.

Mistletoes prefer to “settle” on apple trees, although they can also be seen on other trees with softer bark: hawthorn, oak, poplar, linden, rowan, chestnut, birch and even some conifers. In winter, when the leaves almost completely fly away from deciduous trees, mistletoe bushes are especially visible on bare branches.

Kisses under the mistletoe

The still popular tradition of kissing under mistletoe branches at Christmas, according to some researchers, originates in Old Norse mythology, where mistletoe was the plant of the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, Freya.

Having met under the mistletoe, the enemy warriors had to lay down their arms before the end of the day. Other researchers believe that it comes from wedding ceremonies that were traditionally celebrated during the Saturnian winter festivals in Ancient Rome - in their place with the advent of Christianity, Christmas began to be celebrated.

In the process of fighting to eradicate paganism, the Christian church tried to ban the use of mistletoe, but was not successful.

And nowadays, European Christmas markets offer thin branches with inconspicuous yellowish berries, under which couples in love kiss with pleasure at Christmas (American lovers kiss under yellowish foradendron (Phoradendron serotinum), a local relative of mistletoe, with wider leaves and the same as in mistletoe, berries).

T The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe has very long roots, interesting traditions and deep meaning.

In England, the tradition has been preserved of decorating the house with a branch of mistletoe on holidays that fall during the winter solstice, i.e., New Year and Christmas. This tradition dates back to the times of the Druids, who considered evergreen mistletoe a sacred plant. Mistletoe was hung in bunches from the ceiling in houses; it symbolized life itself, immortality, rebirth, fertility, wealth and protection from dark forces. Women who dreamed of children carried a sprig of mistletoe with them.

Beautiful, but also baby-friendly baptismal sets for newborns are sold in the online store http://svyatopole.ru/, and here you will also find gifts for babies - beautiful silver spoons.

Festive wreaths were made from mistletoe, which were completely covered with green mistletoe, ivy, holly, the center of the wreath was decorated with red apples, pears or oranges tied with ribbons, and candles were attached to the wreath frame.

Another interesting custom is associated with mistletoe - a girl who accidentally found herself under a mistletoe branch was allowed to kiss anyone and this was called the “Branch of Kisses.”

The Druids had a very interesting way of collecting mistletoe; on the sixth lunar day, priests in white robes climbed a tree and cut the mistletoe with a golden sickle, the fact is that mistletoe cannot come into contact with iron, and mistletoe cannot touch the ground, otherwise it will lose its magical properties , so they put it in a white cloak. If mistletoe was collected correctly, it was considered a good remedy for epilepsy; it was both a medicine and a poison at the same time.

In Scandinavia there was another interesting tradition associated with mistletoe; if warring parties met under mistletoe, they had to lay down their arms and maintain a truce until the next day; mistletoe was a symbol of truce. Quarreling spouses or lovers could make peace under the mistletoe, because its berries and leaves always grow in pairs.

If the honorary title of Queen of the New Year is undoubtedly occupied by the stately beauty of the spruce, then the princess of Christmas (of course, Catholic) can be called mistletoe. We began to learn about the Western tradition of kissing under the decorated branch of this plant a couple of decades ago from Hollywood films. And even though historically this custom is not ours, it still remains very beautiful and romantic. Therefore, today, on this Catholic holiday, we want to talk a little more about this plant and the legends associated with it.

Mistletoe - what kind of plant is it?

To begin with, let’s tell you a little about mistletoe, as another representative of the flora of our planet.

The mistletoe genus includes about 70 species, which are located from the tropical to the southern forest zone. In our country, mistletoe can be found on trees even in the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions.

Legends of mistletoe

Despite the fact that mistletoe is not particularly valuable as a plant, a large number of legends and superstitions are associated with it. In ancient times, mistletoe was revered as a symbol of life: in ancient Rome, it was believed that a woman who chose this plant as her talisman could quickly conceive and easily give birth to a healthy child. In addition, for many years mistletoe was considered a powerful magical medicine that could save you from any disease.

According to one legend, mistletoe appeared when lightning struck an oak tree. Therefore, a house where there is mistletoe will never be affected by this natural phenomenon. Other magical properties include help in finding treasures and the ability to open any locks. It was believed that the house where mistletoe was kept was protected from otherworldly interference. In Virgil's Aeneid, the hero crosses the kingdom of the dead, carrying with him a branch of mistletoe as a talisman.

And in the Scandinavian countries, mistletoe was considered a symbol of peace: hospitable residents hung it on the door of the house to show that they were always happy to shelter a random passerby. It was impossible to quarrel near the tree on which this bush grew, and even the most ancient enemies found reconciliation under it and laid down their arms. Therefore, the ancient German legend about how the insidious god Loki killed the bright god Balder with a dart from a mistletoe branch has a special irony. By the way, it was this legend that became one of the foundations of the tradition of kissing under a plant.

Where did the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe come from?

The custom of kissing under the mistletoe belongs to the English. It is believed that they owe it to the Druids, who had a full-fledged ritual for collecting and distributing the precious magical branches of the plant.

There is another version about the origin of the tradition. In ancient Rome, on the day of the winter solstice, which today falls on December 22, there was a custom of holding mass celebrations - Saturnalia. This holiday lasted for a week, and during this time anyone had the right to kiss anyone, even a complete stranger, by raising a sprig of mistletoe over their head. Over time, such a kiss became one of the elements of marriage.

Mistletoe was the main and only decoration of the house in winter until the more familiar New Year's plant, the Christmas tree, came into fashion in the 19th century.

Conclusion

As you already understood, mistletoe is not a symbol of Christmas, but rather a symbol of the winter solstice. Nevertheless, due to the proximity of the dates, the tradition of decorating the house with this plant began precisely during the New Year holidays. So don’t be upset if you are not a Catholic, because mistletoe traditions have little to do with religion. Think of it as a way to create a festive atmosphere and a romantic atmosphere in your home.

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