Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. While filming at Historic Columbia recently, I learned that it wasn’t until the 1850’s that British and American Christians began seriously decorating their homes for Christmas. Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, brought his Germanic holiday traditions to England. Along with decorating a tree came the custom of hanging mistletoe over a doorway. In those days of strict rules of behavior, a gentleman could kiss a lass if she paused under that bit of greenery. It was important to have mistletoe collected from a female plant (mistletoe is dioecious – male and female flowers occur on separate plants) as some ladies allowed a kiss for each berry on the “kissing ball.” Perhaps the added belief that sprigs of mistletoe brought inside a home prevented quarrels between husbands and wives promoted the idea that it also increased fertility. Kisses and harmony – maybe more couples should try it.
Mistletoe: a Holiday History
