Celebrating release day for our Christmas Holiday Extravaganza 2018!
Today, the three Happy Holiday stories featuring Mistletoe are highlighted below!
But first, a little about mistletoe.
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Mistletoe—it puts a picture in
everyone’s mind, doesn’t it? Mostly we think of this little plant as a cute
holiday decoration put up in doorways or other passageways to encourage a kiss.
It’s an ancient plant with over
13,000 species worldwide, many of which are
endangered. North America has over 30 different species alone.
So, what is it? Would it change your
mind about the cute kissing Christmas decoration if I told you that it’s
partially a parasite? It can grow on its own and makes its own food through
photosynthesis; it just prefers the easy way out by attaching itself to some
kind of tree and eating from it. Those thousands of species come in several
shapes and sizes, with different berries. Some types are shrubby with little
flowers and white berries that are poisonous; some prefer growing on oak trees,
most on apple trees.
Naturally such an ancient plant has
many legends associated with it. Celtic people of northern Europe, Greeks,
Germans, and Scandinavians stories have been passed down through the eons.
Mistletoe is revered as a symbol of fertility and emasculation, depending on
what part of a king’s reign he finds himself in. The ancient Druids used it in
their cult ceremonies. We’re trying to keep it upbeat here, so that’s as far as
I’ll go. You can look up more if you want. In various cultures it was
considered to ward off evil spirits, put out fires, and bring about peace.
Enemies could make peace treaties underneath a ball of mistletoe; in
Scandinavia, embattled spouses could make up and kiss under the mistletoe. In France,
kissing under mistletoe was once considered a New Year’s Day custom.
In Scandinavian mythology "the Death of Baldur", the plant
was sacred to Frigga. She was the mother of Balder, who dreamed that if he
died, all life on earth would end. Frigga went to all the elements, air, fire,
water and earth, as well as the animals and plants and exacted a promise that
nothing on earth or under the earth would harm her son and thus end all life.
Unfortunately, she overlooked mistletoe, which grows neither on nor under earth,
but in the trees. Loki had an arrow made of mistletoe and gave it to Hoder who
killed Balder. Frigga’s tears for her son became the white berries on the
plant. Balder was restored to life three days later. Frigga kissed everyone under
the mistletoe who came to offer help. Can you relate this tale to the Christian
story of Jesus?
Mistletoe’s mythical healing powers
are beginning to be
studied in modern medicine as a cancer treatment. Although
mistletoe parasite growths affects the life cycle of the trees it “infests,”
the growth harbors nesting birds, including endangered species such as the
spotted owl, as well as small nesting mammals, and butterflies such as various
hairstreaks, and bees. The berries are poisonous to humans, but many creatures
rely on them during times of scarcity.
So—mistletoe the misunderstood?
Mistletoe the romantic? Which side are you on?
Mistletoe Mix-up - Evan Edwards
faces another lonely Christmas in the dorm. His mom is on her fourth, or maybe
it's her fifth, honeymoon. A rain-soaked ad promises free room and board in
exchange for holiday decorating. Evan jumps at the chance to spend Christmas in
a cozy home. The owners won't even be there until Christmas Day, so he'll have
plenty of time to practice their piano for his graduation recital. He heads for
Candle, Tx. Across the street, Rise' Larkin, also home from college for the
holidays, has some bad news for her widowed father.
As Evan and Rise's friendship grows,
Evan wonders if he might have a future with a family of his own. Evan realizes,
nearly too late, that he's been living in, and decorating the wrong house! Will
this crazy mistletoe mix-up ruin his Christmas, or possibly, even his future?
Come back SATURDAY DECEMBER 8 to read the full post and review here.
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A former musician, Melody Staff,
spends Christmas at a bed and breakfast in the village of Mistletoe Meadows.
While everyone sings familiar carols of Christ drawing near, Melody stumbles
over misplaced notes. Her recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has scared off
her fiancé and thrust her life into a grand pause. Will her heart ever sing
again? Quentin Oxford has endured a devastating year. His preteen daughter
suffered a stroke, and they’ve grieved his wife’s sudden death, but the Lord
coaxes a surprising refrain from Quentin’s heart as God rewrites his and
Melody’s score into a love song.
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Ivy has just cause to be wary of
men. Her long-time fiancé backed out of their wedding. The slow fizzle of their
undramatic relationship leaves her wondering if romance is a myth. Then, Adam,
an intriguing new member of her pet organization, catches Ivy’s attention.
Unfortunately, his cat Isis, a beautiful purebred Egyptian Mau, prefers to pick
on her cat, Memnet. Ivy would like to get to know Adam better, but with her self-esteem
in the gutter and feline fights at every turn, she wonders how to proceed.
When Ivy agrees to help a clingy friend find her missing pet, she learns that
true love doesn’t need theatrics. There’s hope for Adam and Ivy, if only their
cats would approve.