Why People Kiss Under Sprigs of Mistletoe and the Variety of Species the Plant Helps Support

A TED-Ed lesson by Carlos Reif explains why people kiss under sprigs of mistletoe. The tradition has an interesting history, but the lesson also discusses the variety of plant and animal species that mistletoe helps support.

The sight of mistletoe may either send you scurrying or, if you have your eye on someone, awaiting an opportunity beneath its snow-white berries. But how did the festive tradition of kissing under mistletoe come about? Carlos Reif explains how this long-lived custom intertwines the mythology and biology of this intriguing plant.

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