Mistletoe

[penny]

Hmm...here's something I got out of that Ebook on herbal magik, Rosy posted... I didn't know about Mistletoe:

According to old Pagan herb lore, mistletoe works well to ward off lightning strikes and storms when hung from the chimney or over the doors and windows of a dwelling.
Fairies are also said to be repelled by the sight and smell of mistletoe, a belief that unquestionably gave birth to the old custom of placing a sprig of the plant inside a child’s cradle. With the protective power of the mistletoe working for them, parents who once feared that their children might be stolen by fairies and replaced with changelings could rest easier at night.

Don't you hate that when fairies take your kid and leave a changeling..."Honey, they left a changeling again!"

Here in Canada (and probably Britain and the US) you hang mistletoe up and if you are standing under it, someone has to kiss you. That's one of my favourite Christmas traditions.
What are some other traditions from other countries?...not necessarily Christmas/Christian/Pagan things, just I find traditions interesting. Like when a Jewish couple I know visits and I make dinner, I can't serve dairy and meat together on the table. I usually make veggie pizza - it's so traditionally Jewish I think.

[Dude]

one thing I noticed about Russia is that they always bring a present they go to someone's house.

Here in the USA, I would say it would have to be one very special occasion, maybe if I was going to visit the president and was trying to impress him or something.

My family is very casual, and the idea of bringing a present every single time I went to someone’s house just makes me tired thinking about it.

Also, in Russia you can’t stand in the door way, you have to go through the door first if you are talking or meeting someone. I made this mistake a couple times.

[Gray Ghost]

Someone at work told me this past week that mistletoe was poisonous, I'd never heard that before, but makes sense, kinda goes along with the kissing thing :spin:

[Dude]

the berries can produce a rash similar to the poison ivy rash in people who are sensitive to it, so if your sensitive and you eat some, your throat can swell and you could die from it.

But I don't think it happens very often, I think I have read about some pets who died from eating it, can’t remember if it was a cat or a dog?