1874 The Mistletoe - Who Will Kiss Me ? , Victorian Christmas Tradition

Description: Original antique Victorian era Christmas print : " The Mistletoe - I Wonder Who'll Kiss Me ? " Paper size 5 3/4" x 9"Undated, however this is from a publication printed in 1874. 150 years old. Carefully packed for shipment to the buyer. ------- Historical information : Christmas Mistletoe Do you hang mistletoe in your home over the holiday season? Of all the holiday traditions that have both ancient and pagan roots, hanging mistletoe is one of the oldest, but it was the Victorians that turned it into a kissing ritual. The history of mistletoe's origins can be traced back to the ancient Norse myth of Frigg, Baldur, and Loki. Frigga, a Viking Goddess of Love, considered mistletoe to be a sacred and wise plant. When her son Baldur survived an attack by Loki, she said that mistletoe would protect others from death and would be deserving of love. Ancient Celtic druids , crowned with oak leaves, used a gold hook for cutting mistletoe , which was a sacred plant. They believed a drink made with mistletoe could provide fertility to any animal or human and was also an antidote to all poisons. The druids would cut mistletoe and catch it before it touched the ground, otherwise it would lose its magic qualities. They also believed mistletoe could ward off evil spirits.The Druids began the custom of hanging it over their door around the winter solstice to protect against evil and bring good luck. Like other forms of evergreen, decorating with mistletoe was a winter holiday tradition passed down from pagan religions into Christianity. Evergreens were thought to bring good luck as it remains green through the cold months, unlike other plants. By Tudor times ( late 1400s to early 1600s), the tradition of hanging mistletoe during Christmas had evolved into the hanging of the kissing bough, a decoration of evergreens hung over the doorway, with mistletoe often at the center, as a greeting for guests. In Georgian times (early 1700s to early 1800s), the activity under the mistletoe had gotten more intimate than a mere welcome sign for guests.The Victorians (1837-1901) used mistletoe at Christmas time as part of a courtship ritual. Washington Irving’s 1876 short story " Christmas Eve " documents this holiday kissing game : "The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases." The Christmas Mistletoe tradition lives on today as a sign of holiday welcome, and a facilitator of family hugs, warm pats on the back, and perhaps even a few kisses.

Price: 19 USD

Location: Coventry, Rhode Island

End Time: 2024-12-08T16:17:09.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD