Botany

• European mistletoe propagates by birds spreading its berries to different trees, from which the seeds sprout. The berries are carried directly or pass through the birds' digestive tracts. The name "mistletoe" is derived from Anglo-Saxon "mistel" meaning dung, and "tan," meaning twig. This was because mistletoe was observed to grow where bird droppings are present on the branches. Once sprouted, a mistletoe seedling will extrude roots that penetrates the host branch to draw nourishment.
  
  

Celtic Beliefs

• Because mistletoe cannot grow in earth but has to parasitize a host tree, Celts believed the shrub to be a physical aspect of the tree that held its soul. Mistletoe was believed to be an aphrodisiac--to enhance fertility, an antidote for poisons and as a protection against evil spirits. Mistletoe was ritually cut from an oak tree with a golden sickle by the Druids of Celtic Europe on the sixth night after the winter solstice.
  
  

Christianity

• Pre-Christian superstitions concerning mistletoe survived the demise of Celtic Druidism and the establishment of Christianity. Mistletoe continued to be hung in a house, a remnant of Celtic belief in the plant as a token of good fortune. During the Middle Ages, mistletoe was hung in a doorway to prevent the entry of witches. Decorating the house with mistletoe during Christmas is derived from its ritual harvesting by Druids during the winter solstice.
  
  

Modern Culture

• Mistletoe has no significance in mainstream Christian religious practice. Current associations with mistletoe have mostly to do with kissing under its hanging branches during Christmas. There are two possible sources of this practice. The Celtic belief that it was a totem of fertility and the Greek festival of Saturnalia. With the modern revival of Wicca, mistletoe has again assumed a place in religious ritual.
  
  

Medicine

• Mistletoe's modern medical applications include treatment for epilepsy and as an an anti-convulsant. It is also used as a sedative and narcotic chiefly because the alkaloids in mistletoe suppress the nervous system in small doses. Certain compounds in mistletoe demonstrate anti-cancer as well as an anti-coagulant properties. Extracts have been prepared from mistletoe that exhibit immune-system-boosting properties. However, in its natural state, mistletoe berries are extremely toxic and lead to convulsions when ingested.