FROM THE HEART WITH GINI RIFKIN: Mistletoe

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Mistletoe

Associate with love ,we generally think of it as a

Victorian Christmas tradition.

But the plant has a long history of symbolic importance. First as a sacred plant of fertility and protection for Celtic Druids. Later, it became a peace symbol in Norse mythology. The use of it medicinally is effected depending on the species of mistletoe and the part of the plant used. As a poison, the side effects can be significant, nausea, vomiting, chills, fever, itchy skin, headache, and fatigue.

Mistletoe on an apple tree.

However, the seemingly innocent plant can also damage others. While healthy trees can tolerate a light infection, heavy infestations can lead to stunted growth, dieback, and eventual death. So our love plant can also be deadly.

Mistletoe vs Holly: Because the plant was associated with pagan practices, early Christian churches banned its use. Instead of mistletoe, the church encouraged their followers to use holly. Which is supposedly how holly became associated with Christmas,

Kissing under mistletoe gained popularity in the 1700's. But going back even farther, one popular myth involves the Norse goddess Frigg, who is said to have declared that anyone who passed beneath the mistletoe deserved a kiss. I leaned toward the older beliefs about mistletoe's connection to love and fertility when I used the trope in my Medieval story, Promise Me Christmas. A great Christmas Eve read.

From Promise Me Christmas: "When they passed the lone apple tree near the sally port, Guy smiled, and reached up and snagged a handful of greenery growing in the branches."

Available here
Book Trailer Promise Me Christmas