When it comes to something that is romantic, kissing under the mistletoe must be right up there with roses on Valentine’s Day. However, you might change your mind when you find out something else about the plant.
The name comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word ‘mistletan’ so you can already see the similarities, but it’s when you look at the translation that things take a rather unfortunate turn. The problem with this word is that it means ‘little dung twig’ because the plant is able to spread by its fruit being eaten by birds who then dispose of it from the opposite end of their mouth in their droppings. Of course, that was not the reason why it became a sacred plant. That lies with the Druids who saw it staying green even in winter when other plants were dead.
Also, the plant grew berries providing a source of food for different birds and animals, so it was then interpreted as being a life-giver plant with a touch of luck attached to it as well. Ultimately, it went through several changes in its interpretation to then lead to how we think of it today, which is as a plant that is supposed to bring love and luck to the couples that kiss beneath it.