A Parasite Amongst The Decorations Or A Memento Of Love?

Oh no, not the mistletoe!  Yup its a parasitic plant.  European Mistletoe is a poisonous plant that can cause severe abdominal cramps, low pulse and diarrhea.  Mistletoe can be spread in the feces of birds because it is a parasite that affects trees.  Do you really want to kiss under the thing now?  I still do and will continue the loving tradition.  Read on to find out why at the link below. 

http://www.candlegrove.com/mistletoe.html

Here is an excerpt: 

"Now for the kissing part.

Although many sources say that kissing under the mistletoe is a purely English custom, there's another, more charming explanation for its origin that extends back into Norse mythology. It's the story of a loving, if overprotective, mother.

The Norse god Balder was the best loved of all the gods. His mother was Frigga, goddess of love and beauty. She loved her son so much that she wanted to make sure no harm would come to him. So she went through the world, securing promises from everything that sprang from the four elements--fire, water, air, and earth--that they would not harm her beloved Balder. Leave it to Loki, a sly, evil spirit, to find the loophole. The loophole was mistletoe. He made an arrow from its wood. To make the prank even nastier, he took the arrow to Hoder, Balder's brother, who was blind. Guiding Holder's hand, Loki directed the arrow at Balder's heart, and he fell dead.
Frigga's tears became the mistletoe's white berries. In the version of the story with a happy ending, Balder is restored to life, and Frigga is so grateful that she reverses the reputation of the offending plant--making it a symbol of love and promising to bestow a kiss upon anyone who passes under it."

Just the thought of being a symbol of a mother's love for her son and her tears are what became the white berries rather choke me up, in a good way.  I know that some of you might be "bah humbug" on the plant but as long as I can purchase or harvest the plant, every Yule it will be found somewhere in my house hanging.  Even last year with my spouse deployed I hung the plant up thinking of my love for him and hoping that he'd stay safe. This year I'll be kissing him under the mistletoe after I get him to hang it up.