Thursday, December 3, 2015

Christmas Kisses: The Kissing Bough in Jane Austen's England

The mistletoe hung from the castle walls,
The holly bough hung in the old oak hall
And the Baron’s retainers were blithe and gay,
All keeping their Christmas holiday…
        -Thomas Bayly (1797-1839), “The Mistletoe Bough

During the time of England's Jane Austen (1775-1817), Kissing Boughs had been around in one form or another for centuries. In the Middle Ages (and perhaps even further back, to pagan observations), households in Britain hung evergreen boughs or sprigs in public rooms such as the hall or entry during the winter months. Visitors and the master of the house could declare a truce or embrace under the bough in a symbolic gesture of benevolence and goodwill--with a symbolic kiss of peace.
Reproduction of a Georgian Kissing Bough hung in the kitchen of Fairfax House in York

As time went on, however, something changed. The kisses exchanged beneath such boughs took on new meaning, so that by Austen’s day, the Kissing Bough offered a socially acceptable excuse for young couples to engage in flirtation. 


Hung by a ribbon from a chandelier or door frame, a Kissing Bough could be as simple as a sprig of mistletoe or as complex as the greenery-wrapped wire sphere a-flutter with ribbons many of us are familiar with. In a wealthy household, the Kissing Bough might even include paper decorations, apples, and candles--or even dolls of the Holy Family, like a Nativity set.

Traditions may have varied by region. Some households used berry-laden mistletoe, so that a gentleman might pluck a berry from the bough whenever he stole a kiss. When the berries were gone, the time for kissing was over. It was also believed to be bad luck for a lady to refuse a kiss.

And just who did the kissing? Some sources (such as Washington Irving) claim only servants or the lower classes engaged in such revelry. The image below depicts a chimney sweep making an overture at a maid.

The YOUNG SWEEP giving BETTY her CHRISTMAS BOX, 1770-1780, Winterthur 1973.0584:
"The Young Sweep Giving Betty Her Christmas Box" circa 1770, Bowls and Carver
It seems, however, many upstairs folks enjoyed merrymaking under the mistletoe as well, depending on the family. 
Mr. Fezziwig's Ball by John Leech in Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Note the handheld mistletoe being put to use on the left. 

Sometimes, members of the household participated in crafting the Kissing Bough and other holiday décor, while others relegated the task to servants. Greens used in the bough’s construction included holly, ivy, pine, hellebore, and, of course, mistletoe—not all of which grow throughout England. These items were traded from one district to another during December (note the holly in the donkey cart below).

Mistletoe, however, seems the most crucial ingredient in a Kissing Bough. Reasons for this are unclear, although in several European countries, mistletoe was reputed to contain the power to heal or ward off misfortune. In Celtic, mistletoe is literally called “all-healer.”

Once completed, the bough would be hung on Christmas Eve, and would remain in place through the Twelve Days of Christmas. On the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, boughs were promptly removed to the outdoors, lest they bring bad luck into the home.

Kissing boughs declined in popularity after the introduction of Christmas trees to England, but they still serve a festive purpose in many a household, within Britain and without.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Will your home boast a Kissing Bough this year? Mine will...it's artificial, but it hangs in the entry hall!

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ABOUT SUSANNE:

Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she’s a Genesis Award winner and author of four novellas. Her most recent is included in The Most Eligible Bachelor Collection. Married to a pastor and the mom of two, Susanne loves fancy-schmancy tea parties, travel, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos. You can visit her on her website, www.susannedietze.com.

16 comments:

  1. Alas, no kissing bough at our house. We have many other traditional Christmas decorations but no mistletoe.

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    1. I think we had *real* mistletoe once. I noticed Trader Joe's is selling it this year--I spotted little bags of it in the chips/wine section, of all places.

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  2. I had no idea the history was that extensive. Thanks for enlightening us, Susie! :)

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    1. Thanks, Karen! I confess my curiosity is piqued by the centuries-old custom of disputing differences under mistletoe. I'm going to have to research it. Glad you could come by!

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  3. My daughters and I are reading a story with a mistletoe kiss and it made me think about getting one for Christmas. Maybe we will! :) I loved this post, Susie. Congrats on the new blog.

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    1. Thank you, Gabrielle! So glad you enjoyed the post. I finished a novella last night that contained a mistletoe kiss, too!

      Let me know if you hang some mistletoe. My kissing bough is from Target--a few years old, but I noticed they carry something similar this year.

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  4. I completely enjoyed this post, Susie! I've never used mistletoe during Christmas, but this year I may hang a sprig or two around! Thanks for the interesting information!

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    1. So nice to see you, Michele! I have to confess, no one kisses under our kissing bough. It's in the entry hall and most people ignore it! ;)

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  5. As a horticulturalist, mistletoe seems like an unlikely token of good will as it's a plant parasite (and all parts of it are poisonous). Certainly avoid any mistletoe tea! (or use it at your own risk in a gothic romance!) I prefer those lovely decorative kissing balls and boughs instead, but in my house it's generally a small homemade centerpiece with a variety of evergreens and woody stems. Nicely done, Susie! I'm longing for a bit of fruitcake now. Really.

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    1. I'd love to see a pic of your homemade centerpiece, Deb. I love using fresh evergreens, but I confess we don't have much of it anymore since it seems to contribute to allergies and asthma in my house. As for the fruitcake, will you be making a plum pudding this year?

      Thanks for coming by!

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  6. Thanks for the history behind this, Susie. Debra mentioned that she prefers decorative kissing balls and I have to admit that my fake decorative kissing ball looks like the one in your image, Susie, except it doesn't have candles and instead of apples uses small cranberry-like fruit. And of course, it has plastic mistletoe instead of holly. Hmm...so I guess the only way mine resembles yours is the shape.

    I hang mine in the arch between the kitchen/dining room and the rest of the house, that way everyone has to pass under it. I've never seen anyone kiss under it yet, but my brother-in-law has to duck to get past it. :D

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    1. The one I have is a ball made of plastic mistletoe with white plastic berries. It's garnished with a red velvet ribbon and hangs from a hook in the entry hall!

      Sounds like you hang yours in a good place with lots of traffic! Maybe we should catch our husbands under the boughs. ;)

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  7. I'm the only one who eats the plum pudding so I'm not sure. But thanks for asking.

    Anita -- at least he ducks and doesn't head-butt it on purpose!

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    1. No, Deb, he doesn't. But my son has grown so tall this year, he might. Ha!

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  8. I like the Kissing Bough. It is so much bigger and prettier than Mistletoe. I wonder how often the apples had to be changed? sm wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. I wondered about the apples, too, Sharon. Perhaps they were secured with wire so, not suffering cuts or piercings, they would last the season. Good question!

      Thanks for coming by!

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