Mistletoe

Did you know mistletoe in Anglo Saxon, Mistel Tan, stands for “Poo on a Stick”? Romantic right? That is just one of the interesting facts regarding mistletoe and the tradition behind it. The mistletoe tradition is a very interesting topic to learn about because mistletoe grows in a special way, is used very differently now than it was before the tradition, and its tradition was inspired in a weird way.
Mistletoe grows in a very unique way compared to other plants. Mistletoe lathes onto trees and feeds off of it, therefore mistletoe is a parasitic plant (Verwymeren). Mistletoe also grows in frozen weather, allowing it to last all year long (Andrews). Unlike sandalwood which feeds on roots of trees, mistletoe grows on the branches of trees which contributes to mistletoe being hung above our heads (Dunn). Additionally, the seeds of mistletoe are sticky, meaning when birds land on a branch of a tree, the seeds stick to the bird’s feet and are spread. Rob Dunn says, “I will pucker my lips to that, to the way evolution clings to us as beautifully as the kiss of a sticky seed”. Therefore, mistletoe spreads easily like love (Dunn). Finally, mistletoe grows with berries which contributes to the tradition which will be mentioned later (Dunn).
Prior to being a famous tradition, mistletoe was used as a decoration on trees (Andrews). Additionally, the ancient Greeks viewed mistletoe as a “healing potion” due to it being a symbol of eternal life because it can last during cold weather (Andrews). Also, animals like birds relied on the berries of mistletoe for food (Andrews). In fact, three butterfly species, including the thicket hairstreak, great purple hairstreak, and Johnson’s hairstreak use mistletoe as their main diet. (Silvestro). Now, mistletoe serves as an iconic tradition of hanging it on doorposts and kissing under it