When I was first asked to write about Mistletoe, I was somewhat taken back as to what I could possibly write about it? I mean, the only thing I know about Mistletoe is people kiss under the mistletoe during the Christmas holiday and you can use it as a decoration.
I have never seen an actual Mistletoe plant other than plastic ones covered with gobs of glitter or drawings of them on Christmas paper or on Christmas greeting cards. Therefore, I automatically assumed it was a plant that grew only during the winter months, specifically at Christmas time. My research has enlightened me quite a bit and I now know more about Mistletoe than I thought I would.
I can assume that most individuals recognize mistletoe in the same way I do with its round leaves and little red berries but in actuality, mistletoe can take on various different shapes and even produce, not only red, but white berries and can even have flowers on it.
Mistletoe will rarely grow directly out of the ground, but is rather a plant that will grow onto other plant life, primarily trees and shrubs. Mistletoe is considered a parasitic type of plant due to the way it grows and thrives on other plant life forms to survive. Mistletoe will create its own food until such a time it is actually rooted into the tree or shrub. Once rooted the plant will use the water and nutrients from the tree or shrub to grow and survive. This is very different than other plants that root in dirt and then use moisture and nutrients directly from the earth. Some Mistletoe can embed itself so much and grow so rapidly that it overtakes its host killing it and then will die itself. Mistletoe can be found growing in many types of trees such as Oak trees, Apple trees, Eucalyptus and even Juni...
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...orrect ritual of the man plucking a berry for each kiss given that the couple will have bad luck but, if followed correctly will have a prosperous union. Other myths are that if a young girl places a mistletoe beneath her pillow, like you would your tooth for the tooth fairy, she would dream of her future prince charming. Lastly if a woman burns a mistletoe and it burns steadily she will have marital bliss but if it does not burn steadily her marriage could be doomed.
All in all, it was pretty interesting learning more about Mistletoe and where it comes from, what it really looks like, what purpose it serves in regular life but, I have to say that the most interesting part was what I learned about what different meanings and folklore it took on for so many different cultures. Who knows if any of those things really work but, I suppose it doesn’t hurt to try.
Christmas is filled with traditions and events, but how did they start and why do we still do them? Traditions are often passed down throughout generations for centuries, but the origins are often unknown or forgotten.
The marriage practices for the Navajo Indians are very unique. The bride must be bought with horses, sheep, or other valuable items. What many Navajo Indians used to use in the 40’s were love potions. These love potions include many plants and herbs in them, and were used to make someone fall in love with someone else. In many traditions for Navajo weddings they used a lot of plants and herbs. After the wedding ceremony they would have a big feast. The main food at the feast was always corn.
Christmas has consumed itself. At its conception, it was a fine idea, and I imagine that at one point its execution worked very much as it was intended to. These days, however, its meaning has been perverted; its true purpose ignored and replaced with a purpose imagined by those who merely go through the motions, without actually knowing why they do so.
A Christmas Carol is jubilant spiritual hymns to celebrate the birth of Christ which is sang by a group of people friends, family and anybody who wants to.
Dandelions, known to the botanist as Taraxacum officinale, are classified in the Composite (Compositae) family of flowering plants. The genus name, Taraxacum is derived from the Persian word for "bitter herb," (Myer, 1994). Accompanying the golden ruse of the dandelion are the daisies, aster, sunflowers, goldenrod, Joe Pye weed and many other wildflowers.
Photosynthesis is the conversion of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugar. The better the growing conditions the better the sugar production. The most ideal conditions are a large crown of leaves, a sunny summer and fall, and a late frost. " The run itself is improved by four conditions: a severe winter that freezes the roots, snow cover that keeps the roots cold in the spring, extreme variations in temperature from day to night that are typical to mountain climates, and good exposure to the sun." (Pg. 383). The results are a thin sap that has a harsh flavor, best found in the northeastern states.
...hat it taught me to become more aware and cognizant about life and my surroundings in general. Another exciting fact that I have learn how interesting people can become when you stop, take notice and even make random conjectures even when in fact sometimes those conjectures are partly true. A third fact was that observing customers interaction that day most of it was geared towards achieving some sort of goal or purpose in the manner in which they walk through the aisle or even browsing the shelves one could conjecture that this also relates to life and how success is often defined by coaches their advice reach out and achieve that was how I perceive that setting. This has also taught me that observation is not merely observing customers, it is also involves immersing yourself in a particular surrounding and acquiring something that can open up a once limited world.
Maybe you have seen this plant during Christmas time. Couples kissing, under this leafy, pretty plant. You might even hear it mentioned in holiday songs and poems. The plant I am mentioning is mistletoe. The festive plant, mistletoe, is mostly known for a kissing tradition, however mistletoe has been very useful in medical events, cultures, and have affected various trees.
Frigg loved Balder. She loved him so much that she tried to protect him from everything. Balder was the light of this world and everyone loved him. Frigg went around to everyone in the world and asked for their promise that they would never hurt Balder; she asked the beasts and the elements, she asked mother nature and all the other gods. They had all pledged that they would not hurt Balder, but she missed one little plant since she thought that it was too small and young to do any harm. The mistletoe on the very edge of the world was the only plant that she had not asked for his protection from harm.
1) It is also cultivated both indoors and out for the production of its flowering tops.
According to William Muir Auld’s book Christmas Traditions, the Christmas tree found its way into the hearts and homes of Christian people with their thoughts and sentiment. Auld writes, “On the night in which Christ was born, all the trees in the forest, despite snow and ice, bloomed and bore fruit” (Auld 138). This story was first told by a geographer of the tenth century named Georg Jacob. This story was as highly believed as the birth of Christ. Christmas trees can be dated back through writing, specifically songs and are associated with the Church, specifically to post-Reformation times. The trees, which decorate homes worldwide, are linked to a spiritual tradition practiced by a variety of religious groups. (The Fir Tree, page 241 in
Pagans would use the branches to decorate their homes during winter to give them hope of the spring to come; while, Christians used this tree as a sign of everlasting life with God.
I chose the poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth because I like the imagery in it of dancing daffodils. Upon closer examination, I realized that most of this imagery is created by the many metaphors and similes Wordsworth uses. In the first line, Wordsworth says "I wandered lonely as a cloud." This is a simile comparing the wondering of a man to a cloud drifting through the sky. I suppose the wandering cloud is lonely because there is nothing up there that high in the sky besides it. It can pass by unnoticed, touching nothing. Also, the image of a cloud brings to mind a light, carefree sort of wandering. The cloud is not bound by any obstacle, but can go wherever the whim of the wind takes it. The next line of poem says "I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils." Here Wordsworth is using a metaphor to compare the daffodils to a crowd of people and a host of angels. The word crowd brings to mind an image of the daffodils chattering amongst one another, leaning their heads near each other in the wind. The word host makes them seem like their golden petals are shimmering like golden halos on angels. It is interesting to note that daffodils do have a circular rim of petals in the middle that could look like a halo. Later in the poem Wordsworth uses another simile, saying the dancing of daffodils in the wind is "continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the milky way." This line creates the image of the wind blowing the tops of random daffodils up and down in a haphazard matter, so they appear to glint momentarily as their faces catch the sun. This goes along with the next metaphor of the daffodils "tossing their heads in sprightly dance." Comparing their movement to a dance also makes me think of swirling, swishing yellow skirts moving in harmony.
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the King of the Fairies is a powerful man named Oberon. Oberon is married to Titania, Queen of the Fairies, who received an Indian boy from her dear friend who passed away. Oberon desperately wants the Indian boy to be one of his followers, but the boy is one of Titania followers and she will not give him up. This is when Oberon decides to use magic, in an attempt to win the Indian boy. Oberon uses the magic of a flower, to make his wife, Titania fall in love with the next creature she sees. Oberon says, “Fetch me that flower; the herb I shew'd thee once: / The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid / Will make or man or woman madly dote / Upon the next live creature that it sees” (2.1.175-178). Oberon then black mails Titania and tells her that she will love the donkey forever unless she gives over the Indian boy. Although many would consider this bad, Oberon uses his magic because he can and he feels he needs to.
The tree is always real, and is usually six to seven feet tall. Most of the ornaments have been collected over the years and are very old. They have become real family treasures. We all have a favorite one that we each put on the tree.