It’s mistletoe-theme time again – lots of stuff with ‘mistletoe’ in the title that’s not, really, got a lot to do with mistletoe. All those ‘Mistletoe Markets’ so popular in the US, all those ‘Mistletoe Murders’ in that US TV series I’ve never actually watched. And not forgetting all those mistletoe-themed products – particularly my favourite bugbear, the ‘mistletoe’ scented candles, which smell of, er, pine (as mistletoe doesn’t have a scent). And all that ‘mistletoe’ imagery you find online that looks nothing like mistletoe, especially the stuff that’s actually, er, (spiky leaves and red berries?) holly.
But what events are there, mistletoe-wise? Well, quite a lot, though many are, of course, merely mistletoe-themed, not always actually mistletoe-filled. stuff. Here are three examples, of all types, and of hugely differing size and scope:
First off, Washington DC, where they have something called the National Kiss Under the National Mistletoe, where you can make ‘kiss-story’ on Saturday 13th December by being one of the couples snogging for a world record – most couples kissing under the mistletoe at once. The record at present is 480 couples, set in 2019 at Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sounds a bit odd? Yes, it is, not least as surely it’s not actually mistletoe – you’d need a huge amount of the real thing to hang over that many people. You’d think the Guinness Book of Records would at least insist that is actually mistletoe! The Washington pictures shown so far (the installation opened on November 21st) show a 10 foot tall ball of greenery with large white berries. It looks like plastic, and is described as being steel.
So whilst it looks mistletoe-filled it is only mistletoe-themed, as it’s using fake mistletoe. Note that if you’re in the area (unlikely for me) and want to take part on the day you have to register first – you can’t just turn up and snog as that won’t be counted (though fake mistletoe will, go figure!).
Second example, somewhat more modest, Brentor Mistletoe Fair, at the village hall in Brentor, Devon, England on next Saturday, 6th December. This event is much more modest, but significant for Brentor (where I am currently sitting writing this). There isn’t a lot of mistletoe here, well, none actually (though I know where there are a few seedlings from last spring…) as this is the edge of Dartmoor so quite elevated, 200m plus, and quite exposed, not to mention well outside mistletoe’s main UK range. So this is more mistletoe-themed than mistletoe-filled. Very successful regardless. Though it won’t be competing for that mistletoe kissing record.
Third, and last, example is a predictable one from me, the Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Festival, also taking place this Saturday 6th December. This is very much a mistletoe-filled event, as Tenbury is a mistletoe trading town – the mistletoe capital of Britain. The Festival there has been running since 2005 when the old Tenbury English Mistletoe Enterprise (of which I was 1/5 part – history here) set it up. It’s been run by the Tenbury Mistletoe Association since 2010 and is held on the first Saturday in December. This year’s events will include, as usual, the mistletoe blessing, organised by local druids.
This year the druid procession will start at 3pm, meet at SENSE by the bridge in Tenbury. For more info go to https://www.facebook.com/TenburyMistletoeAssociation
