Exploring a Christmas Tradition - Mistletoe

Amy Timmerman, Extension Educator Author

12/27/2023 Added

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Using mistletoe in Christmas decorations is a survival of the Druid and other pre-Christian traditions. Mistletoe is one of the most sacred plants in European folklore. It was once considered a bestower of life and fertility.

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[00:00:00.572]This Amy Timmerman with this weeks Extension Update.
[00:00:03.336]Today we are going to explore one Christmas tradition and that is mistletoe.
[00:00:08.813]Using mistletoe in Christmas decorations
[00:00:12.133]is a survival of the Druid and other pre-Christian traditions.
[00:00:15.411]Mistletoe is one of the most sacred plants in European folklore.
[00:00:18.932]It was once considered a bestower of life and fertility.
[00:00:22.956]A good mistletoe crop foretold Welsh farmers
[00:00:25.976]a good crop for the upcoming season.
[00:00:28.259]Mistletoe was also thought to help individuals who had problems bearing children.
[00:00:32.891]Mistletoe has long been a symbol with both magical powers and medical properties.
[00:00:37.724]Mistletoe from sacred oaks was especially precious to ancient Celtic Druids.
[00:00:42.874]It was gathered at both mid-summer and winter solstices for indoor decoration.
[00:00:47.416]Mistletoe was so sacred to the Druids that if two enemies were to meet under it,
[00:00:51.844]they had to lay down their weapons and observe a truce until the following day.
[00:00:56.915]There are many other varied traditions associated with mistletoe.
[00:01:00.915]It was used to ward off evil spirits and prevent
[00:01:03.585]the entrance of witches during the Middle Ages.
[00:01:06.198]It was thought to bring good luck to the entire herd of cattle
[00:01:09.440]when given to the first cow that calved in the New Year.
[00:01:12.874]At one time people thought mistletoe could even extinguish fire.
[00:01:17.916]It was considered a protectant against poison
[00:01:20.546](although the berries are considered poisonous themselves).
[00:01:23.686]And it has been historically used as a treatment
[00:01:26.148]for pleurisy, gout, epilepsy, and rabies.
[00:01:29.806]The name mistletoe came from a mistake made long ago.
[00:01:33.276]In ancient times it was observed that mistletoe would often arise
[00:01:36.996]on tree branches where birds had left droppings.
[00:01:39.968]This led to the belief that mistletoe was propagated from bird droppings.
[00:01:44.672]"Mistel" is the Ango-Saxon word for "dung" and "tan" is the word for "twig".
[00:01:50.279]Hence, mistletoe means "dung-on-a-twig".
[00:01:54.279]It was later found that mistletoe was actually propagated
[00:01:57.715]by seeds instead of spontaneously arising from dung.
[00:02:01.787]So what is mistletoe?
[00:02:03.592]Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant with leathery,
[00:02:06.532]evergreen leaves and small, white berries.
[00:02:09.746]Mistletoe plants manufacture their own food, but
[00:02:12.883]obtain water and mineral nutrients from a host plant.
[00:02:16.800]Mistletoe obtains water and nutrients
[00:02:19.375]via root-like haustoria that grow into the
[00:02:21.950]host plant’s water-conducting tissue
[00:02:24.410]stealing water and minerals from the host tree.
[00:02:27.264]Mistletoe can grow on hundreds of kinds
[00:02:29.617]of trees, both deciduous and evergreen.
[00:02:32.400]An infected tree may be significantly weakened,
[00:02:35.142]and may even die if many mistletoes infect it simultaneously.
[00:02:39.596]During dry conditions, most trees adjust so that they use less water;
[00:02:43.596]but mistletoe makes no adjustment,
[00:02:46.536]so they are especially stressful to trees during droughts.
[00:02:50.776]There are about 1500 species of mistletoe worldwide,
[00:02:54.776]but the one we usually buy for a holiday decoration is American mistletoe.
[00:02:59.265]American mistletoe can be found growing in deciduous trees from New Jersey
[00:03:03.326]and southern Indiana southward to Florida and Texas.
[00:03:07.518]It is the state floral emblem of Oklahoma.
[00:03:11.218]Mistletoe sold during the holiday season is gathered in the wild.
[00:03:15.218]Most mistletoe is harvested in Oklahoma and Texas,
[00:03:19.078]where it is naturally abundant on a variety of trees.
[00:03:21.788]This plant has waxy, white berries.
[00:03:24.978]Because those berries are poisonous,
[00:03:27.070]they are often replaced with fake berries before sale.
[00:03:30.200]Individuals using mistletoe during the holiday season
[00:03:32.900]should keep the sprigs out of the reach of children and pets.
[00:03:36.004]Mistletoe berries are readily eaten by birds.
[00:03:39.059]The birds digest the pulp of the berries and excrete the seeds.
[00:03:43.059]The sticky seeds stick to the branches of trees.
[00:03:46.126]At germination, the mistletoe seedling develops haustoria that grow
[00:03:50.117]through the bark of the tree and into its water-conducting tissue.
[00:03:53.217]And the entire cycle starts all over again.
[00:03:56.300]This has been Amy Timmerman with Nebraska Extension.

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Exploring a Christmas Tradition - Mistletoe

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