The Fifth Day of Truth - Mistletoe
Ever snuck a kiss under the mistletoe? This is a favorite christmas tradition for teenagers world-wide. Long before the the events in the new testament, the druids used mistletoe to celebrate the coming of winter. They would gather this evergreen plant and use it to decorate their homes. They believed the plant had special healing powers for everything from female infertility to poison ingestion. Scandinavians also thought of mistletoe as a plant of peace and harmony. They associated mistletoe with their goddess of love, Frigga. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe probably derived from this belief. It was noted as part of the saturnalia celebrations as well as early wedding traditions. The early church banned the use of mistletoe in christmas celebrations because of its pagan origins. Instead, church fathers suggested the use of holly as an appropriate substitute for christmas greenery. By the 18th century mistletoe had become vogue again. So much so, in fact, that large balls would be held known as kissing balls. No girl under the mistletoe could refuse to be kissed, the kiss either signifying true love, or just a lasting friendship. Any girl not kissed by the end of the night would not be married the next year. Some traditions required that the mistletoe be burned on the twelfth day to ensure the happiness of these bonds.
This tradition is mostly harmless, especially in the eyes of a boy who would have been able to kiss any girl he wanted.
And now you know.
Ever snuck a kiss under the mistletoe? This is a favorite christmas tradition for teenagers world-wide. Long before the the events in the new testament, the druids used mistletoe to celebrate the coming of winter. They would gather this evergreen plant and use it to decorate their homes. They believed the plant had special healing powers for everything from female infertility to poison ingestion. Scandinavians also thought of mistletoe as a plant of peace and harmony. They associated mistletoe with their goddess of love, Frigga. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe probably derived from this belief. It was noted as part of the saturnalia celebrations as well as early wedding traditions. The early church banned the use of mistletoe in christmas celebrations because of its pagan origins. Instead, church fathers suggested the use of holly as an appropriate substitute for christmas greenery. By the 18th century mistletoe had become vogue again. So much so, in fact, that large balls would be held known as kissing balls. No girl under the mistletoe could refuse to be kissed, the kiss either signifying true love, or just a lasting friendship. Any girl not kissed by the end of the night would not be married the next year. Some traditions required that the mistletoe be burned on the twelfth day to ensure the happiness of these bonds.
This tradition is mostly harmless, especially in the eyes of a boy who would have been able to kiss any girl he wanted.
And now you know.
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