When I was a child we hung mistletoe from the beams in the utility room of my parents house (it's the first room you walk into). The tradition being that you have to kiss someone if you're both stood under the mistletoe. A great little excuse for a smooch!
We've got a clump growing here, so I decided to put a sprig above the door in the hope of extra kisses and to pass the tradition on to my children. I'm sure it goes back a long way in history and will carry on a bit longer here yet, where I grew up is also the last place in the UK to have a mistletoe market for the Christmas trade.
Bloggers around the world - do you have this tradition? Or if it doesn't grow where you live do you have something similar?
My favorite part of the tradition is shooting the mistletoe clumps down out of the oak trees with a .22 rifle. Dad could do it. I tend to miss. Shotgun puts little holes in the leaves.
ReplyDeleteMy theory is if you can't shoot accurate then shoot often. Not so good with the precision shooting needed to bag mistletoe.
Perhaps I shall go mistletoe hunting tomorrow.
this one was fairly low so I just used a knife. Not half so fun!
DeleteThere is also the cloven fruit holiday kissing tradition thing. One warning though if a Woman hands you the cloven fruit and you tell her you will take it over yonder so the wife doesn't see you better do it cause those damned cloves embedded in that fruit hurt like hell when they throw it at you.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about cloven fruit (that you got kisses rather than it hurt if it got thrown at you!)
DeleteI havent seen any mistletoe around here and I am not buying any, perhaps hubby will think to brink some christmas eve when he comes home. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe always used to have so much of the stuff at mum and dads. Ever year we say we'd sell some and every year we'd forget!
DeleteThere used to be some growing about 50 miles from here, but we have none locally. You can still buy it in the stores sometimes, I think.
ReplyDeleteIt's everywhere around here if you know where to look. I wonder if yours is the same type?
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ReplyDeleteI read your comment on my email and it's a shame you deleted it - it made me laugh!
DeleteWe always had mistletoe in the UK, I've never seen it here.
ReplyDeleteJane x
I guess you guys have too much cold!
DeleteNot see any here. I hate it when I am shopping and Cliff Richard starts singing: "Mistletoe and Wine."
ReplyDeleteI can't say I'm a massive Cliff fan either! I'm just in it for the kisses!
DeleteI should have a look around in our woods .... you never know !!
ReplyDeleteI bet you'll find some somewhere. This wasn't growing on an apple tree so you might find some!
DeleteIt's always so high up in trees around here, theres no chance of getting any from the wild. SO expensive to buy now.
ReplyDeleteI've never brought any (and never will!) I'd imagine selling it on Christmas eve outsides the puns would be good business!
DeleteI haven't seen any mistletoe for sale here in SW France, so I don't know if the French have the tradition of kissing beneath a sprig of it. I have never been kissed under the mistletoe, ........ but I never give up hope that I might be one day!
ReplyDeleteNever been kissed under the misletoe! If we ever meet I'll bring some with me ;-)
DeleteWe do have mistletoe but it is native and you aren't supposed to touch it as it is rare. I'm afraid most traditions have gone here - it is the middle of summer and most things just don't fit in - yule log on the beach maybe??? fruit mince pies and plum pudding are still around (although most prefer a pavlova with fresh fruit salad) but that is about it.
ReplyDeleteviv
I can't blame you guys for having different traditions, the heat must make it fell very different! Shame you haven't got anything to brake up your winter though!
Deletehi. Ohio.
ReplyDeleteit is sold at the grocery store. never buy any so don't know cost.
haven't seen any growing for decades.
deb h.
I guess I don't go to enough shops to see it for sale over here but it must be somewhere as they sell tons of it every Christmas from the market (wholesale).
DeleteI grew up in Africa- along way from any mistletoe.My Mum was Scottish and she hung a sprig of (plastic) mistletoe over our front door for the same reason as you . Not sure the plastic stuff works as well as the real stuff !
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