The tradition of kissing under the Mistletoe actually comes from England. Far from the romantic connotation that kissing under the mistletoe now has, the name Mistletoe actually comes from two Anglo Saxon words Mistel which means ‘dung’ and Tan which was a ‘twig or a stick’.Put the two together and you could be presented with a dung covered stick! I think I know which I’d prefer!
Originally the custom was that a berry should be picked from a sprig of Mistletoe before the person could be kissed. However, if you were a bit backward about coming forward and left it too long before picking your berry you might well be disappointed as once the berries were all gone the chance of grabbing a kiss was over!
What do you think – should we go back to the original custom or do you prefer our more modern take on Mistletoe? Get in touch below and tell us your thoughts.
