{"id":204,"date":"2021-12-16T14:11:53","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T13:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=15198"},"modified":"2021-12-16T15:00:17","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T14:00:17","slug":"guide-to-mistletoe-history-how-it-became-a-christmas-tradition-and-how-to-grow-your-own-mistletoe","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/guide-to-mistletoe-history-how-it-became-a-christmas-tradition-and-how-to-grow-your-own-mistletoe\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to mistletoe: history, how it became a Christmas tradition and how to grow your own mistletoe"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By countryfile\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 16 December 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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With its white berries and rounded drooping leaves, mistletoe makes a pretty decoration in any hallway. But this plant \u2013 loved by hopeless romantics the world over \u2013 is semi-parasitic, spread by bird poo and poisonous to animals. So why do we kiss under it?<\/p>\n

Our mistletoe guide looks at the origins of this plant in the UK, where it grows, how it became a Christmas tradition<\/a>, whether it\u2019s poisonous<\/a> and how to grow your own mistletoe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Where does mistletoe grow?<\/h2>\n

Mistletoe grows in the branches of trees \u2013\u00a0such as\u00a0lime, poplar, hawthorn and, predominantly, cultivated apple. It never grows in the ground and\u00a0is semi-parasitic. Like many plants, it produces its own food using photosynthesis, but it also extracts minerals and water from a host tree. While the plant grows all over the UK it is\u00a0most abundant in the south and west Midlands and east Wales. Delightfully, mistletoe is commonly spread by birds through their poo which sticks to the tree and the mistletoe berries consumed by the bird start to grow.<\/p>\n

What does the word mistletoe mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taken from two Anglo Saxon words, \u2018mistel\u2019 and \u2018tan\u2019, the word mistletoe can be translated to mean \u2018dung on a stick\u2019.<\/p>\n

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\""Mistletoe\"<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>

Where does the Christmas tradition of mistletoe come from?<\/h2>\n

The tradition of hanging mistletoe dates back to the ancient Druids who believed the plant brought good luck and helped protect against evil spirits. In Norse mythology, mistletoe symbolised love, which is where the custom of kissing under the mistletoe originates from. The ancient Greeks used mistletoe for medicine as a pain reliever and for conditions such as ulcers.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Gathering of mistletoe among the Druids in Gaul: Druid climbed the oak, a weapon of gold sickle and cut the mistletoe\u2019 (Photo by: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

There are up to 1,500 species of mistletoe around the world. For many of us, the most familiar is European mistletoe (Viscum album) which is often used to decorate our homes at Christmas.<\/p>\n

Why do people kiss under the mistletoe?<\/h2>\n

In the UK, the tradition of kissing underneath the mistletoe dates back to the 1700s but the Victorians continued the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe as it was thought to symbolise fertility and romance.<\/p>\n

More festive content:\u00a0<\/p>\n