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Everyone knows what happens if you get stuck standing under a mistletoe around Christmas time. You get a big smooch! But did you know that people have been telling legends of this fascinating plant for thousands of years? They thought it could cure diseases, ward off ghosts, and bring good luck. The Vikings even believed it could raise people from the dead. They thought its white berries were the tears of a goddess and that people standing under them could not be harmed. Instead, they received kisses as tokens of love. This may be where the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe came from. Kissing under the mistletoe was part of a mid-December celebration in ancient Rome. It later became popular in Europe in the 18th century. American settlers brought this tradition with them when they came from Europe.