Christmas Fun

           In past years I’ve covered so many Christmas subjects -\- good gifts for gardeners,  Christmas tree suggestions, (both good and bad) and various decoration solutions, plus a few  Christmas experiences. on Locust Hill\.  Ah, but  I don’t believe I’ve ever written about mistletoe, a Christmas tradition practiced all around the world, so let’s take a look.

            The quaint idea of kissing under  the mistletoe  started in the early 1700s. At first the custom included removing one of the pearly white berries after being kissed, and once the bouquet no longer had  berries it was considered very bad luck to be kissed under it.  Since  this limited the amount of kissing done, this part 

of the custom was soon dropped.

                                 

         Another part of the original tradition was the fact that a boy and girl who kissed under the little  cluster of yellowy green leaves would  supposedly  wed within the year. That tradition  also melted away so that now any old fool can kiss any young thing and get away with it.

            Mistletoe  doesn't grow in New England, but can usualy be found in our florist shops at Christmas time. In the south it produces small yellowish blossoms in February or March,  My old school roommate, who lives in Natchez, Miss. used to send  me a bunch wrapped up in the feathery gray sprays of Spanish moss.  Both these plants are parasites. They grow on live oaks and are considered a terrible nuisance. They live for years, only dying when they’ve managed to kill their host tree.

            Phoradendron viscum, the Latin name for mistletoe,  describes it well as Phoradendron  means tree thief, while viscum describes  the mucus-like quality of the berries.  When a bird eats a berry, he gets a very sticky beak which usually contains a few seeds. To clean it, he wipes the viscous pulp off on a branch. The pulp protects the seeds until they are ready to germinate, at which point a sucker root penetrates the tree's bark and connects with its vascular tissue.  Sounds a bit like Dracula, doesn’t  it?

Rather than leave you with this unattractive thought,  I'd like to end the column with a description of a great game my family plays at Christmas called the Basket Challenge. You will need the following paraphernalia.

Two straight-backed chairs 

 

A study laundry basket with two handles

A cane, a strong broom or shovel and 4 handkerchiefs 

This photo shows how to set up the game.  Slip the broom through the basket handles and then set it on the two chairs.  Drape the handkerchiefs on the chair corners.  The first contestant sits on the broom handle with his feet in the basket, balancing himself with the cane.  The object is to knock all four of the handkerchiefs  off the chairs with the cane. 

Of course not many contestants manage this feat without falling out of the basket like Hank, pictured below.  But I can still remember my father, and sometimes even my grandmother usually succeeded.  It's best to set up this game on a nice thick rug. 

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year!