Time for another Christmas tradition lesson!

I love mistletoe. Let me rephrase that: I love what mistletoe suggests. 🙂 But then again some sarcastic person will say, “Who needs mistletoe?” and technically they would be correct. If people only knew…

Do you know what the origin of mistletoe is? In Old English, mistel is the word for “dung,” and tan means “twig.” Mistletan is the Old English version of the word we know today as mistletoe. Well…I guess it just lost some of its romantic appeal. Don’t you think?

But, let’s move on. In ancient times, mistletoe was viewed with awe, as a miracle plant. It is actually a parasite, and yet it is radically different from what we think of a parasite. It is a beautiful, flowering plant which thrives in treetops when all else dies. Scandinavian warriors would stop battles if they found themselves under mistletoe (No…not to kiss each other). They believed it would dishonor a plant which stood for life by killing. It became a symbol of peace.

Eventually, the restorative powers of the berries migrated to England and the plant became a symbol of love. When a couple passed under the plant they stopped to kiss. If they did (they believed) God would bless them with everlasting love.

By the time Dickens wrote The Christmas Carol, the plant (for Christians) had become a symbol of life after death, of faith that was so strong it could grow even in the harshest of environments. Like the FISH symbol of the ancient Christians, the mistletoe was hung as a testimony of a person’s love for the God who had sent His Son.

Today, sadly, the message of peace, faith, and hope has been largely lost, but if even in a childish way, the message of love remains. (Sounds strangely biblical doesn’t it? See I Cor.13)  So…the next time you see a mistletoe hanging take advantage of it! Remind yourself it stands for the message of love.  (Had you going there for a minute didn’t I?)

This was adapted from this book: