Why do we kiss under mistletoe at Christmas? What are the Christmas mistletoe plant facts? The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe started way back in 16th century England. The custom traveled to early America, where kissing under the mistletoe was mentioned in a Washington Irving short story, “The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.” In Irving’s day, whenever a couple kissed under a mistletoe sprig, they took off one of the white berries. When all of the berries were gone from the sprig, the kissing power stopped. How’s that for good luck? Mistletoe Once Symbolized Romance, Fertility, and Vitality At Christmastime, we think of kissing under a sprig of mistletoe. In the 21st century, that mistletoe sprig might be artificial. Yet, most folks (like me!) prefer the real thing and order fresh or dried mistletoe to carry on the "kiss under the mistletoe" tradition. Some scholars believe that the ancient Greeks started the kissing tradition when they celebrated … [Read more...] about Why We Kiss Under Mistletoe–Christmas Mistletoe Plant Facts
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Decorate Your Home with Jigsaw Puzzles
When you decorate your home with jigsaw puzzles, you create homemade beauty and wonderful family experiences. Jigsaw puzzles are a great and fun activity for both adults and children. They are a unique and beneficial family and solo pastime. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer 1000 piece puzzles, wood brain teasers, or 3D mechanical puzzles. All of these share one key element—they give you a real mental workout. We know that puzzles are very beneficial for children because of the physical and cognitive brain skills they develop. But did you know that adult brains can benefit from puzzles too? Puzzles exercise both sides of the brain, improving your memory, problem-solving skills and spatial reasoning. Plus, working on a puzzle can put you in a good mood. Jigsaw puzzles can be valuable in other ways too. Have you ever lost a few jigsaw puzzle pieces and then ended up throwing the entire stock away? Or do you keep the old pieces somewhere stashed? Well, now you can put those … [Read more...] about Decorate Your Home with Jigsaw Puzzles
7 Expert Tips on How to Care for Poinsettias
Poinsettias are the most popular potted plant during the holiday season. For millions of us, it's not the holidays without a few brightly colored poinsettia plants in our homes. That's why we all need some tips on how to care for poinsettias. Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are excellent plants for natural decoration, and they will easily look great throughout the holiday season with minimal care. Fortunately, they thrive in warm indoor growing conditions. To keep your poinsettia plants alive and well during the holiday season and beyond, just follow the expert tips on how to care for poinsettias listed below. If you follow these easy steps, your poinsettias will look healthy and happy throughout the holidays. Tips on How to Care for Poinsettias During the Holidays 1. Start out with healthy plants. When selecting poinsettias for your home or office, choose the plants that have lots of leaves. Avoid the plants that have dried out so much that the leaves are drooping—or … [Read more...] about 7 Expert Tips on How to Care for Poinsettias
