2007-12-20 01:56:55 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
It's a pagan tradition from norse mythology. Lemme get my source...
"Although many sources say that kissing under the mistletoe is a purely English custom, there's another, more charming explanation for its origin that extends back into Norse mythology. It's the story of a loving, if overprotective, mother.
"The Norse god Balder was the best loved of all the gods. His mother was Frigga, goddess of love and beauty. She loved her son so much that she wanted to make sure no harm would come to him. So she went through the world, securing promises from everything that sprang from the four elements--fire, water, air, and earth--that they would not harm her beloved Balder.
"Leave it to Loki, a sly, evil spirit, to find the loophole. The loophole was mistletoe. He made an arrow from its wood. To make the prank even nastier, he took the arrow to Hoder, Balder's brother, who was blind. Guiding Holder's hand, Loki directed the arrow at Balder's heart, and he fell dead.
"Frigga's tears became the mistletoe's white berries. In the version of the story with a happy ending, Balder is restored to life, and Frigga is so grateful that she reverses the reputation of the offending plant--making it a symbol of love and promising to bestow a kiss upon anyone who passes under it. "
2007-12-20 01:59:32 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
Whats the story behind mistletoe? Why do people kiss under it?
2015-08-18 16:52:01 · answer #2 · answered by Orland 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Using it at Christmas and kissing under it is a British tradition that migrated to the U.S.
In pre-Christian Scandinavia it was used in some rituals, based on the death of Baldur myth. But not for kissing...
2007-12-20 02:03:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a Christmas tradition and why, I am not sure. I could speculate but wont because it is a Paganistic ritual mostly and I cannot verify. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant.
2007-12-20 02:08:25 · answer #4 · answered by Googler 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mistletoe is a symbol of fertility for many cultures, it was introduced into our holiday practises by Germans, along with Christmas trees.
2007-12-20 02:00:57 · answer #5 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
tradition
2007-12-20 01:59:11 · answer #6 · answered by princess 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Cause people are sex mad. Any old excuse.
2007-12-20 01:59:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋