Mistletoe and Christmas
Dear colleagues,
This week, as we approach Christmas, we are not going to talk about a plant or extract related to animal health, but rather a plant that can even be poisonous to humans and animals: mistletoe.
We are not going to explain anything related to its medicinal or toxic properties… this time we will explain where the widespread tradition in Western culture of kissing under the branches of a plant that is sacred in several European cultures comes from.
Specifically, the tradition is not found in Christian tradition but in a story from Norse mythology:
…legend has it that when Baldur, son of Odin, was haunted by dreams foretelling his death, his mother Frigg, the goddess of love, made all the plants and animals in the world swear an oath that they would not harm him. However, Frigg forgot about mistletoe, so Loki made an arrow out of mistletoe and was able to kill Baldur, but the goddess of death, Hel, brought Baldur back to life and, overwhelmed with joy, Frigg ordered the mistletoe to produce white berries as a reminder of her tears and also promised a kiss to all who passed beneath it.
And with this legend, we wish you… Merry Christmas!
