Green, even in winter, mistletoe is not particularly beautiful, but occupies a prominent place in Christmas floristry. It is included in New Year's holiday compositions and wreaths, the branches of this plant are hung under the chandelier, they decorate the house and the front door on the eve of Christmas. Many signs and beliefs are associated with the magical properties of mistletoe.

Pictures with mistletoe: on the right - A. Mucha "Portrait of a girl with mistletoe"; left - K. Witkowski "Under the mistletoe".

About the plant

Mistletoe is used for medicinal purposes: their extract of its leaves is used to make medicines for hypertension. Bird glue is also made from its fruits, which is used to catch small birds.

Signs and superstitions

Even the ancient Greeks and Romans considered mistletoe a symbol of life and strong protection. There was also an opinion that if a woman carries this plant with her, it promotes conception. Among the Druids, the collection of mistletoe was accompanied by a special ritual: it was cut with a golden sickle at certain astronomical hours, on a specially selected tree, in the presence of people who had undergone purification.

In the Scandinavian countries, this plant was considered a symbol of peace. Decorating the outside of the houses with mistletoe meant that the owners were ready to host a traveler. If enemies were encountered under a tree with this plant, they had to lay down their arms for the whole day.

There are also well-known Western Christmas traditions associated with mistletoe. For example, if two people meet under a branch of this plant, they are obliged to kiss.

christmas mistletoe

It is believed that the tradition of decorating houses with branches of this plant on the eve of the winter holidays appeared in England during the time of the Druids, who considered it sacred. Initially, it was customary to hang only bunches of mistletoe. Later, a traditional Christmas wreath appeared, which is decorated with evergreens. Most often, mistletoe, ivy or holly are used for this.

Until the spread of the Christmas tree in the second half of the 19th century, this plant was a traditional symbol of Christmas in England. Because of the custom of kissing under the mistletoe branch, it is also called the "kissing branch".

Another symbol of mistletoe is the protection of the house from evil spirits and magic. Her presence in the house at Christmas meant protection from thunder and lightning, as well as from witchcraft.

English postcards with mistletoe.

In France, mistletoe branches are given to each other as a "gift for good luck." It is under this name that this plant is known here.

Folk names: witch's nest, witch's broom, bird's mistletoe, bird's glue (Birdlime, due to the gluten found in the berries and attracting birds), winter seeds, goat nuts, bird nuts, oak berries, cross grass (in French, Herbe de la Croix , the name reflects the belief that the cross of Jesus Christ was made of mistletoe wood), "panacea" (all-heal, English), jemiola (Polish), atsystyrva (Abkhazian), mgamurch (Armenian), pitri (Georgian).

Botanical name: Viscum album L.
Pharmacy: mistletoe herb - Visci heiba (formerly: Herba Visci albi).
Generic name: from the Latin viscum - bird glue; Latin albus - white.
In old manuscripts
Planet Earth.
Zodiac sign: Taurus, Libra.
Element: Air.
Aura: warm.
The language of flowers: "kiss me", affection, overcoming difficulties.
Main properties: fertility, healing, good 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 from time immemorial it has been an object of superstitious worship in Europe.

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

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 who wanted to conceive a child wore sprigs of mistletoe around their waists or on their wrists.

Among the national names for mistletoe are "oakberries" in Russian, crucifix grass (Herbe de la Croix, reflecting the belief that the cross of Jesus Christ was made from mistletoe wood) in French, as well as bird glue (Birdlime, due to the gluten contained in berries and attracting birds) and panacea (all-heal) in English.
Healing properties of mistletoe

Medieval healers considered mistletoe to be a panacea and a universal antidote. Mistletoe has long been used as a cure for epilepsy.

In modern medicine, young shoots and leaves of white 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 beautiful tradition associated with this plant is to kiss every time you pass under it.

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

Mistletoe takes root and grows into ball-shaped bushes high in the branches of old trees. Moisture and nutrients are taken from the tree on which they grow, running their roots deep under the bark of the "host".

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

Kissing under the mistletoe

The popular and now 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 were supposed to lay down their arms before the end of the day. Other researchers believe that it comes from the wedding ceremonies that were traditionally celebrated during the Saturnian winter festivities in ancient Rome - in their place, with the advent of Christianity, they began to celebrate Christmas.

In the process of fighting for the eradication of paganism, the Christian church tried to ban the use of mistletoe, but was not successful in this.

And in our time, European Christmas markets offer thin twigs with nondescript yellowish berries, under which couples 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 white mistletoe, berries).

You probably noticed that often one of the components of a Christmas wreath is mistletoe. Among the Celts and pagan Scandinavians its branches are a sacred plant. It "huddled" on the mighty oak branches.

Mistletoe was the main attribute of such festivities as the summer and winter solstices.. Branches of this miraculous plant were cut and hung outside the house.

In Scandinavia and still include it in a New Year's wreath - for well-being.

Since mistletoe is closely related to oak (it does not take root in the soil, but grows "between heaven and earth" - on a tree), its protective function is very high. The fact is that oak – thunder tree, protects from thunder and lightning. And if you hang a sprig of mistletoe above the front door or under the roof, this will save the owners of the house from evil spirits and witches, and the dwelling itself from lightning and fire.

In Ireland, mistletoe is revered as symbol of life and fertility: if you give the shoots of this plant to a calving cow, there will be good luck for all 12 months.

Mistletoe fruits and leaves cure rheumatism, infertility, asthma and insanity. All healing power resists many diseases, bestows good luck and happiness.

The Slavs mistletoe has a dual character. On the one hand, she is endowed with magical powers that protect livestock and humans from witchcraft.

So, in the Czech Republic they believe: if you put a sprig of mistletoe in the cradle, the child will not be frightened by nightmares and evil spirits. Bulgarians keep mistletoe at home for "health and well-being". Brides in Croatia adorn themselves mistletoe for happiness and eternal love. The Poles put 3 sprigs of mistletoe in the hive - for the harvest of honey. In the Balkan-Carpathian region give mistletoe to sheep and cows - so that "the fruit is not wasted." In a word, evergreen mistletoe works wonders. But in other regions it is treated with caution.

In the east of the Balkans (Macedonia, east Serbia), mistletoe is never brought into the house, and even more so they do not store it all year. In Slovakia, on the contrary, on the eve of Christmas they find white mistletoe fruits and decorate the festive table with them. Counts, if you touch the mistletoe on New Year's Eve, you will be happy and healthy all year.

Mistletoe is counted in Polissya demon plant- hiding in its branches Samodivas(yuds), which can help a person, but in most cases harm a person. They send paralysis, punish people with blindness, and so on.

The English do not accept the presence of mistletoe in the church, either at Christmas or on any other holiday.. The reason: the ancient beliefs of people that being in the house, and even more so in the church, is a bad omen.

There was a tradition in Wales that it was forbidden to cut down a tree (especially an oak) on which the mistletoe lived. Anyone who cuts or cuts down an oak cannot avoid an incurable disease or death.

According to the English saying, a kiss under the mistletoe bestows unearthly love on both boys and girls.

In a word, mistletoe since ancient times has been revered and admired in almost all countries and regions where it lives. Of course, mistletoe also has a negative connotation. But, despite this, she is given a place of honor, both in English folklore and in Slavic mythology.

Happy New Year, dear readers!

Mistletoe is a plant associated with beautiful Christmas rituals. Every year, Europeans buy thin sprigs of mistletoe and hang them over the door.

It is believed that if a couple in love kisses under a sprig of mistletoe, then “unearthly” love and offspring with good health await them.

Kiss under the mistletoe

The cute tradition of kissing at Christmas under mistletoe branches most likely originates in Old Norse mythology, where mistletoe was the plant of the goddess of love Freya. Whenever a young couple kissed under a mistletoe branch, the young man picked a berry, when the berries ran out, so did the kisses. If a girl stands under the mistletoe, then she has no right to refuse a kiss.

Freya Goddess of Love

A kiss under the mistletoe hanging on the ceiling, as the prim English thought in the old days, should lead to marriage and children. Some researchers argue that the tradition of kissing under a sprig of mistletoe is associated with the ancient holiday of the Roman Saturnalia, when people asked the gods for love, good luck for the coming year and large offspring. The Romans valued the mistletoe as a symbol of peace, so the traditional kiss under the mistletoe is a Roman custom.

Most often, mistletoe can be found on oaks and pines, somewhat less often on apple trees and other fruit trees. In winter, when trees lose their leaves, mistletoe bushes are especially visible on bare branches. In the middle of winter, it blooms with yellow flowers and produces white berries. Mistletoe receives moisture and nutrients from a tree to which it has “grown”, feeding on its “healing juices”. Mistletoe symbolizes immortality and rebirth.

Mistletoe - the golden branch of the druids

Druid priests believed in the amazing healing properties of mistletoe and its magical power. White mistletoe, like oak, served as the subject of their superstitious reverence. For everything growing on an oak tree was considered divine. Even Caesar described the ritual of collecting mistletoe surrounded by mystery by the Druids. Pliny the Elder in Natural History noted that the Druids cut the mistletoe with a golden sickle. Mistletoe was always collected at the same time of the year: at the summer and winter solstice. In this case, the branch of the plant should not touch the ground. Before cutting it, the druids asked permission from the tree. The one who forgot to do this was in big trouble.

Before cutting the mistletoe, the druids asked permission from the tree

According to another tradition, the mistletoe was to be cut six days after the full moon in one sharp motion. Mistletoe plucked in this way protected from witchcraft, with its help it was possible to find an underground treasure.

It was believed that the mistletoe drink provided invulnerability, healed ulcers, and helped women get rid of infertility. The old druids used mistletoe to ward off evil intentions and become invisible. In addition, it was used as a medicine.

I must say that the Druids were close to the truth: modern pharmaceuticals recommend mistletoe for the treatment of heart disease and recovery after surgery.

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According to English custom, a man is allowed

kiss a girl if he is at Christmas time

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. "Christmas Mistletoe" or "Kissing Branch" is the main traditional Christmas decoration in England, before the spread of the Christmas tree in the second half of the 19th century.

The traditional English decoration has the form 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 the branches of trees, in different traditions acts as a symbol of life. In the middle of winter, it blooms with yellow flowers and produces white berries. The Celts and the 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 twined with mistletoe ..." White mistletoe, like oak, in ancient times served as the subject of superstitious reverence.

The reason for the worship of the Magi of the ancient Gauls according to Pliny was that everything growing on the oak was considered divine. At the same time, the mistletoe did not have roots in the ground, and it was not clear where it came from on the tree.

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

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

The Valo Negroes of Senegambia wore mistletoe leaves as a grigri talisman to ward off wounds in war. In Austria, a branch of mistletoe was placed on the threshold of the house to get rid of nightmares. In Sweden, a bunch of mistletoe was hung from the ceiling of the house, stable and cowshed 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 the mistletoe during the summer and winter solstices, correlated 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, while it should not have touched the ground. Mistletoe plucked in this way protected a person from any witchcraft, with its help it was possible to find an underground treasure. It was believed that the mistletoe drink 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 oak is endowed with especially healing properties, and the juice of its berries is food for the body and spirit.

The veneration of mistletoe by the Celts may have been reflected in Virgil's Aeneid, where Aeneas, on the advice of the Sibyl, extracts a branch of mistletoe, sacrifices it to Proserpina and enters the underworld to meet with his father.

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

Only in England, for which the cult of mistletoe is especially characteristic, at Christmas both houses and churches are decorated with its curly branches. At the basis of the mystical respect for mistletoe still existing among the British lies the idea of ​​eternal life.

The popular and now tradition of kissing under mistletoe branches at Christmas, according to some opinions, originates in Old Norse mythology, where the mistletoe was subordinate to the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, Freya. The 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 festivities in ancient Rome - in their place, with the advent of Christianity, they began to celebrate Christmas.

As part of their struggle to eradicate paganism, the Christian church tried to ban the use of mistletoe, but was not successful in this. And in our time, European Christmas markets offer thin twigs with nondescript yellowish berries, under which couples 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 white mistletoe, berries).

The legend of the kiss under the mistletoe originates from the Scandinavian myth of the god Balder, the son of Odin and Freya. Mother loved Baldur so much that she made all the plants swear to protect him. Unfortunately, she forgot to take the oath from the mistletoe, and Loki, the god of evil, killed Baldur with a dart made from mistletoe. The gods resurrected Balder, and the mistletoe promised that they would never harm their pet if they protected her from the touch of the earth. The gods transferred the mistletoe under the auspices 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 kind would certainly bring trouble upon himself if he happened to kill a falcon (the oak stood next to the Falcon Stone) or cut down a branch of an old oak. around the tree in the direction of the sun, will be the best talisman against witchcraft damage and save its owner from death in battle.

As you can see, a man brings home a Christmas tree (presumably a family one, for children), and a young lady brings mistletoe to hang in the house and get the right to kiss. A girl who happened to be under a hanging branch of mistletoe was allowed to kiss anyone. This is where the name “kissing branch” comes from.

Harvesting Mistletoe on Christmas Eve is still a ritual in a number of traditions, somewhat reminiscent of the Druidic one. At the same time, there are ideas that cutting the mistletoe branch is dangerous.

The Druids plucked the 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 was to be plucked without the use of iron, and the plucked must not touch the ground.

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

According to numerous beliefs, the “golden branch” of Mistletoe is able to 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 refers 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 inhibitions, so that anyone under this plant gains freedom from restrictions")

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

Curious facts about MISTLE:

Mistletoe berries attract birds, such as thrushes, which are dispersers of the plant's seeds. The bird pecked at these berries, and her beak became sticky. Flying 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 away from the place of the feast, the same bird left a droppings on a branch of some tree. And in the litter there is a mistletoe seed, which did not lose its germination capacity from the fact that he had to pass through the intestines of a bird

In the spring, when the juices of the tree run faster through the vessels, the mistletoe seed will sprout. No matter how the seed is oriented, the root of the seedling will necessarily bend towards the branch - a slightly 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 grows out of its center, which penetrates the bark of the branch and gradually reaches the wood. This process cannot penetrate into the wood itself. But since new layers grow every year on the outside of the wood, the sucker eventually becomes immersed in them, and the whole mistletoe plant is tightly attached to the branch. In addition, already in the second year of life, the root process begins to branch, spreading in strands between the bark and wood and spreading further and further inside the branch that sheltered it.

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Outside, nothing happens 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 round !