Mistletoe 槲寄生

Mistletoe, a woody plant with leathery green leaves and white berries, is hung above doorways during the Christmas season. Tradition says that a person caught standing underneath the hanging mistletoe can not refuse to give a kiss to anyone who might ask. Needless to say this has resulted in many a kiss being given both in friendship and in passion. You may well be wondering where this warm Christmastime tradition came from and I think you will be surprised to learn that this custom was actually inspired by a very ancient Norse legend. This legend tells of Balder， the god of peace， who was killed by the evil god Loki with an arrow made of mistletoe - mistletoe was the only thing that could hurt Balder. When Balder's mother， Frigga - the goddess of love， found out about her son's death she was grief-stricken. She and the other gods worked desperately to restore Balder's life and when they had at last succeeded Frigga was so grateful that she promised to bestow a kiss upon anyone who stood beneath the mistletoe. Thus， this ancient legend not only created the "kissing tradition" that we know today but also enshrined forever the mistletoe as a symbol of love， peace and forgiveness - three qualities which are an essential part of the Christmas spirit

 檞寄生叶子绿而坚韧，结白色小浆果，人们在圣诞佳节时分将其悬挂在门口。有个习俗是若你站在檞寄生下方时，有人要求亲吻你，你可不能拒绝对方喔。不消说很多时候人们会因友情、爱慕之情而要求亲吻。你或许会纳闷这个温馨的圣诞习俗打哪儿来的？你可能会惊讶它的由来是古挪威民间传说。传说和平之神伯德，被邪恶之神罗其以世上唯一可致其死地的武器，也就是檞寄生所制的箭刺死。伯德的母亲-爱神费迦得知此事时悲痛万分，于是和众神拼命地挽救伯德的生命，最后终于成功地将他救活。费迦实在太感激了，便允诺只要有谁站在檞寄生下，便赐给那人一个亲吻。因此这个传说不但造就了一个至今我们所熟悉的亲 吻习俗，也永远将檞寄生象征的含意，也就是爱、和平、宽恕保存下来，而这三者也正是圣诞节重要的精神所在。