Mistletoe Kiss

"Different Picture"

The Sunday after Christmas, the Sunday School
teacher told her students about an angel
appearing to Joseph in a dream, warning him
about danger to the baby Jesus and telling him
how to escape from it.

After the story time, the students were given
an opportunity to draw a picture about the story.
Most of the pictures were predictable, but
Johnny's had an odd element in it.

"Johnny, I see Joseph and Mary with the baby
Jesus on a donkey, but what is that following
the donkey?

"It's the flea, teacher."

"What flea?" asked the teacher.

To which the boy faithfully repeated the Bible
verse: "Take Mary and Jesus and flea to Egypt.
There's Mary; there's Jesus; and there's the flea."

*****************************************

"Mistletoe Kiss"

Why do people kiss under the mistletoe?

The custom of kissing under the mistletoe originates
in Norse mythology. According to the Scandinavians,
the handsome and gracious g~d Balder had a
premonition about his murder. To prevent the death,
Frigg, his mother, made every living thing promise not
to kill her son. Her only omission was the insignificant
mistletoe.

Loki, the evil g~d, discovered Frigg's oversight, and sought
to exploit it. Appearing as an uninvited guest at a banquet
in Valhalla, Loki watched as the other g~ds shot arrows
at Balder for fun, marveling at how none of the arrows
pierced the seemingly invulnerable g~d. Loki, always
seeking to harm, also shot an arrow at Balder, but his
arrow was made of mistletoe, so it killed him.

Though clearly innocent by modern standards, the other
g~ds were angry at the mistletoe for killing their favorite
g~d. As retribution, they allowed Frigg to do what she
wanted to the plant. Rather than hurt it, Frigg, the goddess
of love, decided to make the mistletoe a symbol of affection,
asking that anyone standing under it be given a kiss of
love and forgiveness.
(Source: THE STRAIGHT DOPE column by Cecil Adams)
Received on Fri Dec 22 08:06:35 2006