In ancient times, people noticed, that mistletoe appeared on a branch or twig where birds had left droppings. “Mistel” is the Anglo-Saxon word for “dung,” and “tan” is the word for “twig”. So, it turns out, that mistletoe simply means “dung-on-a-twig”. Never imagined that this could be an ”original name” of a plant that is considered to bring love and happiness, funny!
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Also found out that there was a time, when mistletoe was used by young girls to find out if they would have a happy marriage with a particular man or not. The custom comes from England, when during the night young girls used to put a mistletoe leaf under their pillows. Next morning young ladies would burn the leaf in order to find out if they could have a happy marriage with a man they dreamed or not,: if the leaf crackled while burning, marriage would be unhappy and if the leaf wouldn’t crack, it could be a sign of a happy marriage.
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Exchanging kisses under the mistletoe was a tradition of Greek festivals. If a couple in love would exchange a kiss under the mistletoe, it was interpreted as a promise to marry, as well as a prediction of happiness and long life.
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In our days exchanging kisses under the mistletoe is a sign of friendship and goodwill.
