| One of Santa's favorite traditions around Christmas | | | | even thunder and lightening. Druids also believed that |
| time-and surely a favorite tradition of men | | | | mistletoe stood for peace, so if Druid warriors ever |
| everywhere during Christmas -is that of mistletoe. | | | | met underneath a patch of mistletoe in the forest, |
| When a man catches his wife or special someone | | | | they could not fight. They would call a truce and |
| under the mistletoe, he gets to plant a kiss on her. | | | | meet somewhere else to fight. |
| Of course, with all other Christmas traditions, this | | | | Put all of these traditions and beliefs together-and |
| wonderful habit is almost as old as the snow that | | | | then mix in the traditions of Christmas and Santa |
| falls around Christmas time. | | | | Claus-and you have what would become today's |
| It actually all started with an ancient myth from the | | | | modern tradition surrounding mistletoe and kisses. |
| Nordic people of Scandinavia and Northern Europe. | | | | It was not that simple for guys and gals and the |
| Hundreds of years ago, the goddess Frigga had a | | | | magical mistletoe in the 1700s. Back then, kissing was |
| son named Balder who was killed by an arrow made | | | | a very serious thing to do with a girl. There was no |
| of mistletoe. Frigga was so sad that her son died, | | | | spin the bottle or truth or dare. If you kissed a girl |
| that she cried and cried, but instead of tears, white | | | | under the mistletoe, you meant business. Basically, a |
| berries poured down her cheeks. These were no | | | | kiss under the mistletoe meant you were prepared |
| ordinary white berries, and they actually worked to | | | | to marry her. On the flip side, if a girl stood under |
| bring Balder back to life by stripping the poison from | | | | mistletoe at Christmas time and no man kissed her, |
| the mistletoe. That made Frigga so happy that she | | | | that meant she would stay unmarried for the entire |
| blessed all mistletoe, and anyone walking underneath | | | | next year. But the lucky man who would be brave |
| it was given a free kiss. | | | | and kiss her could expect a lasting friendship, a deep |
| Of course, the Nordic folks were not the only ancient | | | | romance, and happiness with the lucky woman. |
| people who used and believed in the magical powers | | | | We cannot know for sure if this is how good old |
| of mistletoe. The ancient Druids of the United | | | | Saint Nick got proposed to Mrs. Claus, but we can be |
| Kingdom were big fans of the evergreen plant, and | | | | sure that the jolly old man hangs a piece of mistletoe |
| would distribute it to all the people in their villages. | | | | in his home in the North Pole. Come to think of it, he |
| They would hang the plant over the front door of | | | | probably also hangs a bunch of mistletoe in the |
| their homes, because they believed that the plant | | | | reindeer barn, the toy factory, and anywhere else |
| would protect them from evil spirits, goblins, and | | | | Mrs. Claus might find herself! |