Looking at my local greengrocers I noticed that he had a box of mistletoe
and holly on the floor ready to sell for Christmas. It brought back both
happy and funny memories of my first kiss at twelve years old with my first
boyfriend Terry who was from Canada and he was only fourteen. It was Christmas
time and my Mother had brought a big sprig of Mistletoe and put it above the
doorway. Terry and I kept looking up at this Mistletoe and waited until everyone
had left the room so that we could share our first kiss and the problem was that
he was only 5ft 2inches tall and I was 5ft 6inches tall so we had to get three
phone books so that he could reach up to kiss me just as our lips had met the
phone books slipped and he fall to the ground how we both laughed and I will
always remember it to this very day.
In our more relaxed society the stolen kiss under the mistletoe is not the
popular custom it once was, yet for old times' sake I still like to include
a sprig of mistletoe amongst my Christmas decorations. A Norse legend tells
that the beautiful god Baldur was slain by a dart made from the mistletoe bough.
In their grief all created things wept and their tears, like drops of pearl,
were collected and returned to the tree which had been the cause of Baldur's
death - the mistletoe berries which we see today.
Some people believe that the cross on which Christ was crucified was made
from the wood of the mistletoe and afterwards it drooped its fruit in shame
and shrank to its present size. Certainly it is not customary to use it in
the decorations of churches and it was barred altogether in the times of
Calvin and Cromwell because of its pagan origins. In some countries girls
would place a sprig of mistletoe under the pillow hoping to dream of the man
they would marry!
The dark green leaves and pearly white berries make a handsome decoration
for our home and if it is hung with the idea of encouraging our loved ones
to exchange goodwill kisses beneath it-- then I am all in favour of tradition!
I hope you enjoy the rest
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