In Old Norse mythology, Baldr, the son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg, was slain with a mistletoe spear. Some ...

New species of the plants are still being discovered, and their parasitic biology is being probed for potential cancer ...

It’s a holiday tradition. Get some mistletoe, hang it in the house or hold it above your head, find that special someone, stand together under the plant and smooch away. Seems innocent enough, but ...

Evergreen trees, especially spruces and balsams, are brought indoors at this time and used to brighten the holidays. Driving in the Duluth region now will reveal many houses with such trees, usually ...

Certain specific features accent every holiday season. Easter has eggs and Fourth of July has fireworks. Halloween has ...

Since the 18 th century, one of the sweetest of Christmas traditions is the stolen kiss under the mistletoe. An ancient Celtic ceremony based on a mistletoe elixir meant to cure infertility seems the ...

I was listening to Taylor Swift’s song (Christmas Tree Farm) where mistletoe is mentioned in a romantic scenario as you might have seen mistletoe on many season decorations or Hallmark movies (come on ...

Mistletoe is best known for its role in holiday festivities, as seen on this Christmas card from 1886, and it features in ancient lore of many cultures, whether Celtic druids or Scandinavian gods.

Decking the halls with boughs of holly brings festive flair and adds greenery to your home around the holiday season. But holly isn’t the only plant for indoor decorating—there are lots of other ...

This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's ...

This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's ...