The 25 Strangest days of Christmas Day 11 - “The Christmas Parlour Games That Could Get You Arrested”

0:00 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to the Strange History Podcast and day eleven of our Victorian Christmas countdown the twenty five Strangest Days of Christmas. Today we discuss a plant that has caused more awkward holiday moments than poorly chosen secret Santa gifts. Mistletoe. In the Victorian era, missletoe wasn't just a plant. It was a sanctioned flirting opportunity. A gentleman could take a kiss from a lady beneath the missletoe if and only if there were berries left on the sprig. Each kiss required plucking one berry.

0:37 Speaker 1: When the berries were gone, no more kissing. This turned mistletoe into a kind of romantic rationing system, but not everyone approved. The London Times in eighteen sixty two published a complaint from a missus h of Kensington, who wrote, young men abuse the custom with shameless zeal. I have observed them lingering like wolves near the door. It seems the holiday hallway has always been a hazard.

1:03 Speaker 2: Today's sponsor is kiss Guard missiletoe perimeter rope. Simply rope off your doorway, window or entire dining room to prevent unwonted holiday smooches. Kiss Guard because boundaries are festive an oral hygiene was so not a priority in Victorian times.

1:22 Speaker 1: Tomorrow we will ascend the Victorian Christmas Tree, and yes we will find taxidermy.