| Have you ever wondered where some of our | | | | asked that they spare her son. When she was |
| modern traditions came from? As the Christmas | | | | satisfied that she had secured their cooperation in |
| season approaches, I have been doing some | | | | this matter, she informed Balder that he would |
| research regarding certain holiday-related topics. | | | | live forever. |
| My findings may surprise even the biggest | | | | Balder had one enemy, though. Loki, the god of |
| scrooge! | | | | evil, discovered one plant that Frigga had |
| Mistletoe has been revered by certain cultures for | | | | overlooked. That plant was Mistletoe. Loki |
| many, many years. The ancient Celts of Britain | | | | fashioned an arrow made from the branch of the |
| felt that Mistletoe held sacred powers of healing, | | | | Mistletoe, and dipped it in poison. He then tricked |
| and that it contained the soul of the tree from | | | | Balder's blind brother, Hoder, into firing it and killing |
| which it was cut. In the Celtic language, Mistletoe | | | | Balder. Each of the elements tried to bring Balder |
| means "All Heal". | | | | back to life, but none were successful save for |
| The Druids also had an interesting ceremony that | | | | his mother, Frigga. It is said that her tears turned |
| included Mistletoe. The pagan priests of the time | | | | into the berries from the Mistletoe, and when |
| would carefully cut boughs of Mistletoe from the | | | | they rained upon Balder they brought him back to |
| sacred Oak tree with a golden sickle. They were | | | | life. |
| ever careful not to let the boughs touch the | | | | In her joy at Balder's resurrection, she reversed |
| ground, for fear of contaminating them. The | | | | the poisonous reputation of the Mistletoe and |
| priests then divided these boughs into sprigs, and | | | | kissed everyone who walked beneath the tree on |
| gave them to the people to protect them from | | | | which it grew. She also issued a decree that |
| storms and other forms of evil. | | | | anyone passing under the Mistletoe must kiss, and |
| Mistletoe has also been included in many famous | | | | therefore no harm would come to them. |
| myths from earlier times. The Norse myth that | | | | I love that story, and I think of it each year as I |
| comes to mind is that of the resurrection of | | | | hang the Mistletoe in my home. The tradition of |
| Balder, the god of the summer sun. The myth | | | | kissing under the Mistletoe seems to have faded |
| states that Balder had a dream in which he dies. | | | | somewhat in modern times. So I'm going to hang |
| His mother Frigga, the goddess of beauty and | | | | it in every doorway I pass under during this |
| love, was rather alarmed by this. Frigga went to | | | | Christmas season! |
| all of the elements (air, fire, water, and earth) and | | | | |