# mistletoe what the heck **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-what-the-heck/142184 "2002-12-12T03:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-what-the-heck/142184/1 "2002-12-12T03:12:10Z")
What is it??? How did it become a costume to kiss under it?? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-what-the-heck/142184/2 "2002-12-12T03:31:17Z")
Pretty skimpy costume, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistletoe-what-the-heck/142184/3 "2002-12-12T03:35:33Z")
Oh, okay: According to [Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable](http://www.bartleby.com/81/9645.html), it was originally a Scandinavian custom: > [@](#): > > Balder, the Apollo of Scandinavian mythology, was killed by a mistletoe arrow given to the blind H?der, by Loki, the god of mischief and potentate of our earth. Balder was restored to life, but the mistletoe was placed in future under the care of Friga, and was never again to be an instrument of evil till it touched the earth, the empire of Loki. It is always suspended from ceilings, and when persons of opposite sexes pass under it, they give each other the kiss of peace and love in the full assurance that the epiphyte is no longer an instrument of mischief. Cheers.