This is the first Christmas that my eldest daughter is starting to understand what is going on and it is all the more magical
We are trying to lay down the traditions that our family will continue, from going to buy the tree and dressing it together, to deciding what to leave Father Christmas when he arrives from down the chimney – much to my disappointment my daughter has decided that Santa is a milk drinker! One tradition that we would love to pass down is having a sprig of mistletoe in the hallway so friends and family can be treated to a kiss. But where did this tradition come from?
The origins of kissing under the mistletoe are often traced to a tale in Norse mythology. As the story goes, when the god Odin’s son Baldur was prophesied to die, his mother Frigg, the goddess of love, went to all the animals and plants of the natural world to secure an oath that they would not harm him. But Frigg neglected to consult with the unassuming mistletoe, so the scheming god Loki made an arrow from the plant and saw that it was used to kill the otherwise invincible Baldur. According to one sunnier version of the myth, the gods were able to resurrect Baldur from the dead. Delighted, Frigg then declared mistletoe a symbol of love and vowed to plant a kiss on all those who passed beneath it…
Who knows!
My favourite mistletoe tale from this year comes from a home we are selling – The Farmhouse in Warwickshire. The owner, who is the most fabulous client we have ever had the pleasure of working with, has kept a piece of mistletoe in her kitchen for ten years because she doesn’t want the tradition of kissing friends and family confined to December. What a wonderful woman.
Well, we are off to find a sprig of mistletoe and it will be hanging proudly at Chez Clarke from this weekend.
The infamous, 10 year old mistletoe
Keeping traditions
To take a look around this astonishing farmhouse, head here.
