Kissing under the Mistletoe

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The answer depends on which legend you believe. But like the Christmas tree, which seems to have originated with Germanic festivals that pre-date Christianity, <B>it appears that the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe has roots in pagan Europe</B>. </div> <div> According to Nordic legend, for instance, the god Balder had a terrible dream about his own death. Scared of losing him, Balder's mother, the goddess of love, decided to ask every animal and plant to keep her son safe. She forgot to ask the mistletoe, however, and an enemy killed Balder with an arrow made from the plant. It took three days for Balder's mother to resuscitate him, and when she succeeded, she happily kissed everyone in sight. <B>She declared that mistletoe would never again be used for evil</B>, and commanded anyone standing under the plant to kiss, as a sign of love conquering all. </div> <div> Mistletoe has long been linked to life and fertility--perhaps because it's one of the few plants to remain green and bear fruit during barren winter months--and that association could also be the source of the kissing tradition. <B>If a man arouses a woman's desires under mistletoe, the legend generally goes, there's a better chance that she will bear his child.</B> The ancient Greeks, for instance, used mistletoe and kissing during festivals and wedding ceremonies to improve a woman's fertility. </div> <div> Druids in ancient Britain considered the plant so sacred that warriors who met in a forest where mistletoe grew had to drop their weapons and declare a one-day truce. <B>The Druids also called mistletoe the "all healer," and used it to treat poisoning and make barren animals fertile. </B>And, though they can't pinpoint a specific date, historians believe it was in the Druid homeland, Britain, that kissing under the mistletoe first appeared as a Christmas tradition, weaving its way into the celebration as Christianity became the dominant European religion. </div> <div>  </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="4e2280d0.gif" border=0 width="40" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> </tr></table></body>