Category:Authors, Blog

Mistletoe Magic

By: Katharine Ashe
December 16, 2010

There is something magical about mistletoe. Something playful and mischievous. Yet also something profoundly sober and honest.

Something sacred.

Which makes sense. Evergreens have long symbolized eternal life. Mistletoe remains green throughout the year, dependent solely upon the tree on which it grows in a manner that hasn’t been lost to both Christians and non-Christians. The tiny white berries and smooth leaves have taken on all sorts of symbolical meanings over the centuries of human history.

But I like the kissing part the best.

Have you ever fantasized about being kissed beneath the mistletoe? I did. For years. Throughout my entire adolescence I longed for the boy of my dreams to find me under that tiny bough tied with red ribbon and kiss me until my knees got weak. It didn’t really matter that my dream-boy changed every year. Because each year, I discovered, mistletoe seemed more magical than the last. Each December as I grew older and busier and the mantle of adulthood settled upon me, the mistletoe sparkled just a little bit brighter.

Why? Because mistletoe is about dreaming, and daring, and making wishes come true. The best kind of wishes. Wishes of laughter and romance. Of sweet enchantment and sizzling desire. Of hearts open to adventure and the intoxicating, eternal power of love.

I’m not going to tell you if I ever got that kiss beneath the mistletoe. But in my award-nominated Regency historical romance, Swept Away By a Kiss, I made sure my heroine Lady Valerie did. And it was everything magical a girl could dream.

What was your best-ever kiss under the mistletoe? If you could choose one person to kiss beneath the bough this year—anybody!—who would it be?

OTHER DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING IN AUTHORS Romance

  • CassyWoo says: December 28, 2010 at 3:06 am

    I won’t mind being kiss under a mistletoe with my future-true-love-to-be guy. sigh~

  • gincam says: December 20, 2010 at 11:19 am

    The first love is the sweetest! I would kiss the love of my life, with whom I did not find an “HEA”. His kiss is still the best : )

  • KatharineAshe837 says: December 19, 2010 at 10:05 pm

    If any of you lovely ladies would like a signed cover flat of my next release, CAPTURED BY A ROGUE LORD, send me your mailing address at katharine.ashe @ gmail. com. (For those of you who already have, I’ll be mailing them this week!)

    Thanks for joining in the mistletoe magic!

    :) Katharine

  • DanielleGorman says: December 17, 2010 at 12:47 am

    I have never been kissed under the mistletoe but I would love to by my boyfriend. If it could be anyone I wouldn’t mind Ryan Reynolds. For some reason mistletoe was never that big of a tradition when I was growing up.

    • KatharineAshe837 says: December 17, 2010 at 10:08 am

      Ryan Reynolds is absolutely swoon-worthy! A secret, Danielle: in my house growing up *I* was the one who made mistletoe a tradition. I could never get enough of that sort of thing! Just a hopeful romantic at heart, from the cradle. :)

  • Arkansas_Annie says: December 16, 2010 at 11:09 pm

    Thank you for your post, Katharine; and everyone else for the comments.

    No, I’ve never been kissed under the mistletoe. Shucks, I don’t even celebrate Christmas. But if I did, and if I were as young as I feel (when I’m at my best, of course), and if I were more beautiful than I ever was, I’d want to be kissed by the hero in my current WIP.

    I’m looking forward to more of your posts. Keep up the good work!

  • Geege says: December 16, 2010 at 9:27 pm

    Mistletoe is magic! Ever since I was a young girl I’ve been enthralled by it. One year I made special mistletoe hangers decorated in velvet, beads and sequins. I’ve always dreamed of being kissed under a bough of mistletoe outside in cold crisp air (much like (Swept Away By A Kiss) Valerie’s dreamy kiss! Ms. Ashe, that had my toes curling and insides fluttering!!). I do love the sticky peppermint kisses of my children these days like Marquita shared. Yet, my heart still longs for that magical mistletoe moment when the stars sparkle more brightly. Hmmmm, maybe Jude Law as he was in The Holiday. Yummy!

    • KatharineAshe837 says: December 17, 2010 at 10:11 am

      I had completely forgotten about those mistletoe hangers, Geege! What fun! I must have one buried somewhere deep in a storage box. Must dig that out this Xmas. :)

      Jude Law in The Holiday = perfection. ~ sigh! ~

  • AmyAlvis says: December 16, 2010 at 8:21 pm

    I’ve never been kissed under a mistletoe, but dh is number one on the list followed closely followed by Shemar Moore.

  • LillyGayle says: December 16, 2010 at 6:34 pm

    Love Kate and Leopold! And Hugh Jackman. lol!

  • LillyGayle says: December 16, 2010 at 6:33 pm

    From the time I was 13 I dreamed of kissing a man under the mistletoe. My dad always kissed my mom there. And since 1980, my husband kisses me under the mistletoe. We met January 26, 1979 and married June 7, 1980. And I get the best kisses every year! Even after all these years, I can’t imagine getting kissed by anyone else.

  • infinitieh says: December 16, 2010 at 5:54 pm

    I’ve never been kissed under the mistletoe, but for my first time, maybe Hugh Jackman will oblige? Or your cover model, Paul Marron?

  • JamieBillington says: December 16, 2010 at 2:25 pm

    The first and only time I was ever kissed…or almost kissed under a mistletoe was when I was about 7 or 8 years old. My mom was a cub scout leader for my twin brother’s troop. A bunch of the boys were over and I was hanging back, just watching everything. What I didn’t realize was that I was standing in the door jam…where the mistletoe was hanging. My brother’s little cub scout buddy noticed before I did and started coming after me with a kiss!! I ran like hell. :)

  • Cindy says: December 16, 2010 at 12:43 pm

    Hmm…I’ve never been kissed under the Mistletoe, but since there are tons of kisses in my house everyday, we really don’t need one. So aside from my Hubby, my fantasy kiss would have to be with Alex O’Loughlin.

    • KatharineAshe837 says: December 16, 2010 at 1:26 pm

      Cindy, your house sounds wonderful. :) Alex O’Loughlin is so kissable! David Boreanaz can visit my mistletoe any time he likes, too. There’s just something about vampire good guys that gets me every time.

  • Alyns says: December 16, 2010 at 12:36 pm

    I have never been kissed under a mistletoe in real life but I have in my dreams. I don’t mind though because I am not comfortable kissing my husband infront of friends and family. I don’t know who I would want to choose to kiss. There are so many good looking guys (besides my husband) to choose from.

  • Cindyvon says: December 16, 2010 at 11:36 am

    Sadly, I’ve never been kissed under the Mistletoe. We have some in our home but I can never catch my husband underneath it. So, I dream my kiss would come from Mr. Darcy. He thrills me to my toes. My husband would be nice too, but for now, I dream.

    • KatharineAshe837 says: December 16, 2010 at 12:14 pm

      Cindy, this is the year! You just grab your husband, drag him beneath those berries, and plant on one him. On the other hand, Mr. Darcy would be dreamy… ;)

  • KatharineAshe837 says: December 16, 2010 at 10:34 am

    Marquita, that is simply lovely. I’ll admit I sing that Randy Travis song “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” to my dh every year. We giggle, but look forward to midnight Christmas Eve a lot! ;)

  • marquita says: December 16, 2010 at 9:23 am

    My dh hung mistletoe above the place I walk the most just last week. The kids giggled when we kissed under it. Then they had to have their turn.Warm, wiggly bodies with candy cane sticky fingers and peppermint breath…I know these days will come to a close as they get older.

    Can’t get much better than that….but if I did have to pick *sigh* it’d still be my husband.

    Yeah, yeah…I’m cheesy.

  • DebraYates says: December 16, 2010 at 9:21 am

    I am a romantic at heart, in real life I have been with loosers, maybe thrown under the mistletoe but never kissed. Someone like Hugh Jackman would be my ideal for a kiss. Kate and Leopold now that was a movie.

    • KatharineAshe837 says: December 16, 2010 at 10:37 am

      Debra, Hugh Jackman is also my number one choice! Followed closely by Ryan Reynolds, Matthew Maconaghy, Keanu Reeves, Johnny Depp, … oh, I could go on! And on…! What I loved most about Kate & Leopold was that connection across the centuries that just couldn’t allow them to remain apart. ~ sigh! ~


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