What Is Mistletoe? How Did It Become Tied To The Christmas Holiday?

Is it somehow prophetic that a greenery that's associated with romance and Christmas is a leach?

Many people celebrate the Christmas season by hanging mistletoe - under which they seek a kiss from a romantic interest of theirs.  But have you ever wondered what mistletoe is and how it became integrated into the Christmas holiday?

For starters, mistletoe is a parasitic plant that attaches itself onto a wide variety of hosts on a higher branch.  As its life cycle progresses, it routinely kills the branch its on and can even bring death to the entire tree.

So - how did it begin to be associated with Christmas?

Generations ago, greenery from mistletoe was used to create wreaths and sashes for the Christmas season - due to their plentiful nature.  Somewhere along the line, the tradition of people pausing underneath the mistletoe to kiss was created.

Read more background information here and here.