Ever heard about the usual sayings "Kissing under the mistletoe"?
Well, chances are you have, but why under the mistletoe? Why under this ironically poisonous white berries which could lead to upset stomachs instead of happy smiles on such a jolly good holiday? Although Hippocrates did use certain mistletoe for menstrual pain treatment, infertility, and sometimes cancer (Researches said that some mistletoe are able to help terminate colon cancer cells)
Well, in actuality, there was a legend behind these white berries. The common explanation says that early Christians integrated mistletoe
into their celebrations as the religion spread across third-century
Europe. The rationale predates the early Christians and goes back to the
Norse god Baldur — second son of Odin, god of truth and light — who was
so beloved by the other gods that they sought to protect him from all
the dangers of the world.
His mother, the goddess Frigg, "took an oath from fire and water, iron and all metals, stones and earth, from trees, sicknesses and poisons, and from all four-footed beasts, birds and creeping things, that they would not hurt Baldur." And thus the beautiful god was deemed invincible.
At a large gathering soon after, stones, arrows, and flame were all flung at Baldur to test his might. Nothing worked, and he walked away unscathed. Jealous of Baldur's new powers, the mischievous Loki set out to find the one thing on Earth that might be able to hurt him. He found that the goddess Frigg forgot to ask mistletoe — tiny and forgotten — not to harm her beloved son. In the end, a dart fashioned from the little plant was used to murder Baldur in front of all the other gods who loved him so dearly.
Frigg, of course, was devastated, and it was said that Baldur's mother's tears turned into these white berries, which we known as mistletoe. Henceforth, it was decreed that "mistletoe would never again be used as a weapon and that she would place a kiss on anyone who passed under it."
And so as the legend goes on...
So, have you kissed under the mistletoe?? It's okay because...
Source:
Why Do We Kiss Under the Mistletoe?
Got any Christmas stories to tell? Share it down the comments!!
![]() |
Mistletoe |
But, to the main topic...
Why do we need to kiss under this harmful berries? (I think we need to someone to make sure that hospitals are open before the kissing part starts)![]() |
Kissing under the mistletoe |
![]() |
Frigg (the one with the crown) told others not to hurt Baldur |
His mother, the goddess Frigg, "took an oath from fire and water, iron and all metals, stones and earth, from trees, sicknesses and poisons, and from all four-footed beasts, birds and creeping things, that they would not hurt Baldur." And thus the beautiful god was deemed invincible.
At a large gathering soon after, stones, arrows, and flame were all flung at Baldur to test his might. Nothing worked, and he walked away unscathed. Jealous of Baldur's new powers, the mischievous Loki set out to find the one thing on Earth that might be able to hurt him. He found that the goddess Frigg forgot to ask mistletoe — tiny and forgotten — not to harm her beloved son. In the end, a dart fashioned from the little plant was used to murder Baldur in front of all the other gods who loved him so dearly.
Frigg, of course, was devastated, and it was said that Baldur's mother's tears turned into these white berries, which we known as mistletoe. Henceforth, it was decreed that "mistletoe would never again be used as a weapon and that she would place a kiss on anyone who passed under it."
And so as the legend goes on...
So, have you kissed under the mistletoe?? It's okay because...
![]() |
Just a quote I found... since it's related to mistletoe |
Why Do We Kiss Under the Mistletoe?
Got any Christmas stories to tell? Share it down the comments!!
0 komentar