Mistletoe: Peace, Love, and Berries

Staff
Maya Antoinette Colbert
Oakland, California, United States
Glass beads, wood, acrylic paint, tacky glue, and beeswax

Mistletoe was valued by ancient people around the world for its medicinal properties and used to treat a variety of ailments including high blood pressure and infertility.
Perhaps these uses led the ancient Romans to associate the plant with peace and love and hang it above their doorways for household protection.
It's easy to see how this may have led to the current practice of hanging the plant at Christmas time in the hopes of sharing a kiss with someone you admire.