# Mistletoe: is it still a thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 25, 2015, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320 "2015-12-25T07:29:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2015, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/1 "2015-12-25T07:29:44Z")
It’s a staple of Christmas decorations, enough to be a stereotype. Yet it’s been the longest time since I’ve seen anybody actually kiss under the mistletoe, no matter how much a couple loves each other? Do you or anyone you know still kiss under the mistletoe? And if not, when did it go out of fashion? ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2015, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/2 "2015-12-25T07:34:44Z")
I’m always happy to find an excuse to kiss my wife. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/3 "2015-12-25T14:08:38Z")
We have mistletoe hanging in our great room. We like it so much we leave it there year-round. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/4 "2015-12-26T01:21:30Z")
Being named Baldur, it wounds. It wounds… ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/5 "2015-12-26T04:02:02Z")
I’ve never actually seen it (outside if TV and movies) as part of a holiday display. Just growing in trees. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/6 "2015-12-26T06:43:12Z")
I keep waiting for it to be pilloried and banned as an enabler of rape culture… ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/7 "2015-12-26T14:11:49Z")
I have sixty year old plastic mistletoe that was my grandmothers that I hang up most years. I did low key this year so it didn’t get hung. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/8 "2015-12-26T20:20:36Z")
The big tree in my front yard is covered with an abundance of mistletoe, but I have yet to see anyone kiss under it. ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/9 "2015-12-26T21:23:08Z")
I’m guessing people don’t need a reason to kiss anymore, at least people they know and people don’t “steal” kisses from people they don’t know. Gone are the days of an innocent stolen kiss. Yeah I watch a lot of movies from the 30s and 40s. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/10 "2015-12-27T00:05:53Z")
I was 14 when I got my First Kiss under a mistletoe by a schoolmate at a New Years Eve party hosted by her parents. This back in 1969. It was innocent, a quick peck from a good friend. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/11 "2015-12-27T01:15:20Z")
I’ve never seen real mistletoe on a tree. We have a sprig of plastic mistletoe hanging in the archway to our kitchen. It stays up year-round. I’ve been looking for a sprig of the real stuff to hang instead but it’s not easy to find here in PA anymore. It used to be everywhere, even gas stations sold it in little bags at Christmastime. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/12 "2015-12-27T03:05:36Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > We have mistletoe hanging in our great room. We like it so much we leave it there year-round. Ours is in the entry. Very high ceiling and took a ladder to get it up there. When my husband came down the ladder he said, that thing is staying forever or until it falls on its own. I’ll never get that knot untied. So there it hangs, year around, going on 15 years now. Now and then I get the vacuum with all the extenders and get after it to get the dust off or make it fall whichever comes first. People rarely notice it, except this time of year. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/13 "2015-12-27T05:03:12Z")
Mistletoe belt buckles sure don’t work. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/14 "2015-12-27T14:15:33Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Mistletoe belt buckles sure don’t work. :mad: I have mistletoe-printed underwear. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/15 "2015-12-31T05:44:23Z")
I’m pretty sure I’ve only seen the fake stuff. ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/16 "2015-12-31T19:00:37Z")
It infests many trees in central California (and undoubtedly other places). For those who haven’t seen it in the wild, here is what it looks like: [This](https://www.google.com/search?q=mistletoe&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCtfWV5IbKAhUB52MKHT59B78Q_AUIBygB&biw=1106&bih=932#imgrc=0JVmCBhN7pdBRM%3A) [and this](https://www.google.com/search?q=mistletoe&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCtfWV5IbKAhUB52MKHT59B78Q_AUIBygB&biw=1106&bih=932#tbm=isch&q=mistletoe+infestation&imgrc=bQEnCO5NIyOGZM%3A) [and I don’t know how this poor tree is still standing…](https://www.google.com/search?q=mistletoe&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCtfWV5IbKAhUB52MKHT59B78Q_AUIBygB&biw=1106&bih=932#tbm=isch&q=mistletoe+infestation&imgrc=tiAFq3dVWY-cUM%3A) ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-is-it-still-a-thing/741320/17 "2015-12-31T21:35:50Z")
My husband and I just kissed under some artificial mistletoe. People still do this on TV shows. It happened in the most recent episode of **The Flash**.