What are some of your favorite Christmas staples? Could it be the hot chocolate that feels ever-so comforting in the cold of winter, the surprise of opening a good gift and satisfaction from seeing others receive yours, or maybe even looking at a sparkly tree that you helped decorate? There are plenty of cherished traditions to enjoy during this season, yet one stands out as pretty odd: the hanging of mistletoe. The custom of having mistletoe hung above a door, along with the tradition that if caught underneath it, people are supposed to kiss, is one of the few eye-rolling traditions of the holidays, one that it may be time to put aside..
This custom, according to the University of Illinois, has a long history with an unclear beginning. However, considering the awkwardness of the tradition, as well as the changes in society that have changed our perceptions of a forced kiss, this tradition should probably just be dropped (extension.illinois.edu). The main argument against the mistletoe tradition is the concept of a forced kiss under the mistletoe, specifically because it isn’t conducive to the conventions of consent in modern society. According to Time Magazine, the tradition started with the belief that kissing under mistletoe would lead to a sooner marriage. This could be a harmless concept if it weren’t for the fact that, for obvious reasons, a sudden unexpected kiss isn’t something that most people would not feel comfortable with, and the rejection of the tradition (and therefore the person doing the kissing) could definitely complicate the situation (time.com).
Additionally, mistletoes has historically been seen as something capable of curing poisonings and infertility. In fact, in Celtic rituals, these herbs were mixed into elixirs with the purpose of medicine in mind. However, the mistletoe is actually, quite ironically, a poisonous plant that can be dangerous if ingested, proving the whole concept counterproductive (extension.illinois.edu). The plant itself is also problematic in the wilderness, as mistletoe is actually a parasitic plant, meaning it robs other plants of their nutrients. Freshman Anthony Bonifacio said, “I have heard a bit about how the plant could kill other plants, and that’s a shame, because they are pretty nice-looking.” While it is not always the case, sometimes mistletoe can actually kill the host plant, according to the University of Wisconsin (hot.extension.wisc.edu).
Even this famous seasonal decorative plant’s name proves the silliness of the whole matter. The word mistletoe is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words for “dung twig.” This is because of how the plant propagates. Originally, people believed that excrement from birds somehow created the plant and it seemed to sprout in places where bird dung was left behind. This is part of what led people to believe it had mystical powers. But as it turns out, the plant wasn’t created from bird excrement, but birds ate the mistletoe seeds and then the seeds made their way into the birds’ feces, causing the spread of the plant through the excrement (hort.extension.wisc.edu).
With all this in mind, it’s pretty clear how this tradition in general is nothing short of pointless. Almost every reason for its cultural existence is silly or invalid, and the plant has proven to be actually harmful. Setting its aesthetic value aside, we might want to rethink mistletoe this year.