What is mistletoe?
and also use herbalists who use parts to treat respiratory and circulatory problems, among other things, urban mistletoe has always attached myths and traditions. He was known as a symbol of fertility, aphrodisiac and currently a reason to kiss someone around Christmas time.
Mistletoe is hemiparasit or partial parasite. Like other parasitic plants, it grows on a trunk or branch of a tree and acquires its nutrients by broadcasting roots that penetrate the tree. Unlike other parasitic plants, mistletoe is also able to grow in itself and produce its food with photosynthesis. Although it is able to survive as a parasitic plant or independently, it is more often found that it grows at least partially parasitic.
There are two main forms. Phoradendron Flavescens , the mistletoe most commonly used as Christmas decorations, grows as a parasitic plant on trees along the east coast of the United States. Viscum album , the second species, comes from Europe. Some ancientThe genera, including the Greeks, thought it had mystical forces, which leads to a lot of folklore. This form of mistletoe is green with sticky white poisonous berries and small yellow flowers. There are other related plants, also known under the same name.
When mistletoe grows like a parasitic plant, it may end harmful or even kill the host tree. The seeds spread birds that eat berries, which are then spread by birds' droppings. As it grows on trees, it also serves as a comfortable support for birds' nests. In Australia alone, it is known that over 240 bird species nest in this plant.
In Norwegian mythology, God Baldur was killed by weapons from mistletoe. Druids gathered it on the winter and summer solstice and saw it as the soul of the oak on which he lived, as well as asymbol fertility. Among the Celts and the druids were considered an antidote to poison, although the berries can cause a rash.
During the Middle Ages, the branches of the mistletoe were suspended from the ceiling or above the door to protect the house and inhabitants from evil spirits. In parts of Britain, farmers gave the Christmas bundle to the first cow to give birth during the New Year, and allegedly gave luck to the whole herd. Some people believed that the plant could extinguish a fire or that it appeared on oaks during a flash of lightning.
The tradition of kissing under mistletoe may have begun with the Greek festival Saturnalia and may have been used in some marital ceremonies, probably because it was expected to increase fertility. Some British are still burning Christmas mistletoe today to ensure that anyone who kissed it will have a chance for marriage. In Scandinavia, this used to be considered "a plant of peace". Enemies or arguments will find out, declared a ceasefire while under the plant.
The custom of people who kiss when they find themselves encounter under mistletoe is still common in the United States and many parts of Europe. According to the “right” labelsY, when a man kisses a woman under her, he should choose one berry. When all the berries are away from Stigna, the chance of kissing under him is gone.