Kissing under the mistletoe is one of many Christmas traditions. In Washington Irving’s “Christmas Eve,” he describes the Christmas tradition:

The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases.

Luckily, now the kissing under the mistletoe Christmas tradition does not include picking the berries for the berries are poisonous. I’ve found a few Christmas poems mentioning the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe:

Mistletoe Kisses

by Peggi Speers

Mistletoe kisses, hugs and children’s smiling eyes
The smell of pine and grandma’s pumpkin pie
The sounds of laughter rings, “I missed you too”
Christmas brings me back to, “I love you”

I’ve been working hard all year long
I haven’t had a chance to see my friends at all
So on this special Holiday, I’m gonna celebrate
The things that really matter in my life

Mistletoe kisses, hugs and children’s smiling eyes
The smell of pine and grandma’s pumpkin pie
The sounds of laughter ring, “I missed you too”
Christmas brings me back to, “I love you”

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a dime
Just come on over and have a real nice time
Carols by candlelight will fill our hearts tonight
With reasons why it’s great to be alive

Mistletoe kisses, hugs and children’s smiling eyes
The smell of pine and grandma’s pumpkin pie
The sounds of laughter ring, “I missed you too”
Christmas brings me back to, “I love you”

So on this special holiday
I’m going to celebrate the special things that matter in my life
Mistletoe kisses, hugs and children’s smiling eyes
The smell of pine and grandma’s pumpkin pie
The sounds of laughter ring, “I missed you too”
Christmas brings me back to, “I love you”
Christmas brings me back to, “I love you”
Christmas brings me back to, “I love you”

Mistletoe and Wine

Written by: Strachan/Stewart/Poole (1988)
Album: Together with Cliff Richard (1991)

The Child is a King, the Carollers sing,
The old is passed there’s a new beginning.
Dreams of Santa, dreams of snow,
Fingers numb, faces aglow.
Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time for rejoicing in all that we see

A time for living, a time for believing,
A time for trusting, not deceiving.
Love and laughter and joy ever after,
Ours for the taking, just follow the Master.

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time for rejoicing in all that we see

A time for giving, a time for getting,
A time for forgiving and for forgetting.
Christmas is love, Christmas is peace
A time for hating and fighting to cease

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time for rejoicing in all that we see

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time for rejoicing in all that we see

Mistletoe, a Christmas Poem

by Walter de la Mare

Sitting under the mistletoe
(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
One last candle burning low,
All the sleepy dancers gone,
Just one candle burning on,
Shadows lurking everywhere:
Some one came, and kissed me there.

Tired I was; my head would go
Nodding under the mistletoe
(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
No footsteps came, no voice, but only,
Just as I sat there, sleepy, lonely,
Stooped in the still and shadowy air
Lips unseen – and kissed me there.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

By T. Connor

I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night
She didn’t see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peep
She thought that I was tucked up in my bedroom fast asleep
Then I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white
Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night

Mistletoe On Christmas Poem

by Unknown

The Christmas festivities
Have begun once again
With carols and lights
good food and champagne
The best part of all
His dream girl is here
He stands near the fireplace
Beneath the mistletoe

His heart starts to pound
He’s nervous at best
He has waited for this moment
butterflies in his chest
He scans the room
his eyes aglow?
And hopes she won’t notice
he’s standing beneath the mistletoe

Laughter and giggles and
joyful noises surround
The moment is perfect
to share with the girl he found
His eyes meet hers
Across the room
Do you think she knows
he’s hanging around the mistletoe?

The crowd begins to gather
around the majestic tree
but tonight he would rather
her angelic face to see
He closes his eyes
and takes it slow
This Christmas night
beneath the mistletoe

This Christmas he only
has one wish
to kiss the lady
in the dreamy white dress
he opens his eyes
to find he’s not alone
To his surprise
she standing beneath the mistletoe

She smiles at him
and asks him his name
and then looks up
she knows his game
she puckers up
and kisses him gently
and says do you know
we’re standing under the mistletoe

For a history of this one of many Christmas traditions – kissing under mistletoe – visit holidayspot.com.