The mistletoe perches on a tree branch and absorbs nutrients from the trunk. Now, doesn’t that set the romantic, holiday mood?
Throughout mythology, the mistletoe was for more than just awkward kissing. The Greeks believed that Aeaneas, the famous ancestor of the Romans carried a sprig of mistletoe in the form of a golden bough. In Eddic tradition, the mistletoe is thought of as the only thing able to kill the god Baldur. In other non-Christian cultures, it was believed to carry the male essence.
It became used as decoration when people came to believe that it would protect their homes from fire and lightening. It hung all year long, but was replaced by another one each Christmas. It’s unclear how the mistletoe became the silent cue for “have a make-out session,” but according to literature, kissing under the mistletoe was a very popular practice in 16th century England.