Stateside, the popularity of kissing under the mistletoe as a Christmas tradition can be more easily traced, back to Washington Irving’s The Sketch Book, which was published in 1820.

When did mistletoe become associated with kisses on ... "Washington Irving referred to it in 'Christmas Eve,' from his 1820 collection of essays and stories, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon ...

There they discovered mistletoe on ancient oaks drawing life from the air. They supposed that the plant came from heaven, blessing life with purity and love. Harvested from an oak brought awe.

During the Christmas season mistletoe can be seen as an attention seeking decoration and in tops of oaks and other hardwood trees that have shed their leaves.

Picture mistletoe and you might imagine a branch with shiny green leaves, like the one hanging over the dance floor in a Justin Bieber video.This is one of more than 1,000 species of mistletoe ...

David M Watson receives funding from the Australian Research Council In many parts of the world, Christmas and mistletoe are inextricably intertwined. So, as December 25 draws nearer, now is a ...