Have You Been Kissed Under The Mistletoe?

Janet-Tronstad This is Janet Tronstad and I’m very pleased to visit with you here in P & P. Before I mention my latest Christmas book, I just have to ask though.  Have any of you ever been kissed under one of those big kissing balls? The ones the Victorians used to make of mistletoe and hang up for their parties?

My latest novella is in a book entitled ‘Mistletoe Courtship’ and I realize I don’t even know anyone who has seen one of those kissing balls. I’m hoping that some of you have though. The mistletoe I usually see at Christmas is one of those small pressed-looking twigs that you buy in the plastic wrapper. I’m sure the Victorians would be appalled.  

From what I’ve read, they took their mistletoe seriously.  I didn’t realize that if you went un-kissed when you were standing under a kissing ball (male or female) it was supposed to mean you would never get married. Talk about pressure. I’m sure that was reason enough to line up. mistletoecourtship

In our culture, it seems to me that we save The Big Kiss for New Year’s Eve.  What’s your take on it?  Do you think mistletoe is still popular? Do any of you have any hanging in your house as we speak?  Do you plan to put some up this year?  And – for the big question – have you ever been trapped under some mistletoe with someone who wanted to kiss you and you’d rather not kiss them back? What’d you do?

I’ll be happy to send a copy of ‘Mistletoe Courtship’ to one of the people who post today so leave a comment if you can.

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26 thoughts on “Have You Been Kissed Under The Mistletoe?”

  1. Hello, Janet. Your cover is lovely! No, I’ve never seen a kissing ball. I think you’re right, The Big Kiss has become a New Year’s eve tradition in our culture.

    Have a great day here at P&P, and happy holidays!

  2. Hi Janet…Thanks for the opportunity to read your novel…and, no, I have not been ‘kissed’ under the mistletoe (at least not yet!). Merry Christmas.

  3. Hi, Janet. Your book looks lovely.
    I’ve seen pictures of kissing balls (maybe in catalogs??) but not an actual one. As a youngster I remember the silliness when somebody would bring a bit of mistletoe to school. Lots of giggly fun. But come to think of it, I haven’t seen any mistletoe hung for years. Kinda sad.

  4. Hi Janet, I love Christmas anthologies. Novellas are just the right size for a busy time of year. I thoroughly the stories by you and Sara Mitchell : ) Thanks for visiting Petticoats & Pistols!

  5. Hello Janet,
    We have 2 mistletoe balls hanging in our house right now. They are supposed to be “traditional” but they are probably not very close but they are not those weird, pressed, green things in plastic you find in the store…
    I have only been kissed by my husband under the mistletoe…makes for a romantic story!
    Thanks for sharing today,
    Stephanie

  6. Janet,

    Your cover of your book “Mistletoe Courtship” is just beautiful. I love Christmas books

    I have seen Mistletoe when I was in school. I have never been kissed by nobody other than my husband of 22 years and our love is forever

    Thanks for sharing and visiting today.

    I have put this book on my must read lists but I hope to win it here today

    Walk in harmony,
    Melinda

  7. I love the cover of your book and added it to my ‘to be purchased if I don’t get it for Christmas’ list.

    I have been kissed under a Victorian kissing ball by my husband some 47 years ago. Haven’t seen a true kissing ball since but it was all very romantic.

  8. I love holiday books, and anthologies are great. Your cover is lovely. I have been kissed under the mistletoe but it’s been a long time ago. I can remember fresh mistletoe hanging when I was a kid. Not sure where we got it from. Have a wonderful and safe holiday season.

  9. Hi, everyone — thanks for all of your stories about mistletoe kissing (or not as the case seems to be often). The mistletoe kissing ball is something I’d like to see come back, too.

  10. You brought back sweet memories for me every year my Daddy would go a shoot some mistletoe out of a tree an bring it home an hang it up so he got his first kiss from mama,I wish I had some fresh to hang up,I love Christmas novels as well,my favorite,thanks for coming by an renewing my memory of my Dad,who has passed on

  11. Janet, welcome back to P&P! We’re excited to have you. It’s always a pleasure. Your anthology looks wonderful. I love Christmas stories. They give me that warm fuzzy feeling. I see I’m going to have to make a trip to the bookstore when I go Christmas shopping.

  12. Hi Janet, great post! I haven’t seen mistletoe in years. I can rememeber getting mistletoe when we where in our teen and hanging it in the house. We use to have it at our teenage Christmas parties so yes I have been kissed under the mistletoe, but it has been many years! Your books sounds fabulous and I would love to read it. Have a wonderful holiday season!

  13. Vickie and Quilt Lady — thanks both of you for sharing your wonderful mistletoe memories.

    And, Linda — it’s great to be back here!

  14. The book sounds so good and I have added it to my TBR list. Some parties I go to have mistletoe hanging up and some don’t. I’ve always looked for it though.
    Merry Chistmas and Happy Holidays

  15. Every Christmas, my mother in law had a sprig of plastic mistletoe she hung up in the door from her kitchen to the living room, the center of that whole house.
    No way was I getting a kiss in front of the whole family there. So, 33 years of married like later, and that plastic mistletoe looks like santa and his reindeers have been trompling it the whole time and still no kiss.
    The marriage is surviving just fine without it. 🙂

  16. And Janet, I saw you wading into that ‘debate’ on Ted Dekkar’s Facebook page about the list of no-no words for Love Inspired. I thought you were GREAT.
    I wanted to tell you and applaud you for speaking a great deal of wisdom into a pretty dumb flurry.

  17. Thanks, Joye — I guess it’s wise to always be on the look-out for Mistletoe (like Mary C., some of us don’t want to be kissed in front of the whole world).

  18. Thanks, Mary C. — I don’t know if you caught the end of the whole flurry, but it all boiled down to a clerical oversight (the guidelines had been changed several years ago and this hold-over from ancient times was buried deep on the website, but hadn’t been changed). Which explained why so many of us authors hadn’t even heard of the list. Anyway, that got sorted out, but it was a good lesson for me in crowd mentality. Reminded me of Don Quixote.

  19. No, I’ve never seen one of those mistletoe balls. Years ago we hung mistletoe, but haven’t done it for years now. Can’t say I’ve ever been kissed under the mistletoe though. But would love to be.

  20. No mistletoe up this year. We haven’t even decorated yet. Hopefully this weekend – make that tomorrow. More likely it will be next weekend. (We’ve been helping someone move.)
    Yes I’ve been kissed under the mistletoe.
    The one year I was at a Christmas Party with a lot of other students, I did get “trapped” by someone I certainly did not want to kiss. I had a few Hershey Kisses on my plate and handed him one. I gave him a kiss, it doesn’t really say what kind it has to be.
    Hope you have a wonderful Christmas Season and a great New Year!

  21. LOL! Janet, I’ve never been kissed under mistletoe and we don’t hang it at our home; maybe it’ll be a fun tradition to start 🙂 Congrats on Mistletoe Courtship–that sounds lovely!

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