Druids recreated an ancient ceremony at Britain's largest mistletoe market to honour the festive plant, traditionally held over the heads of those in the mood for a cheeky Christmas kiss. Devotees of the Celtic religion also revealed the little-known -- and surprising -- reasons why the festive sprig is just the job for those feeling both festive and frisky.
Out to rediscover the plant's spiritual side, druids performed the blessing in England's self-styled "Mistletoe Town", Tenbury Wells, in Worcestershire, central England.
The druids believe mistletoe is special because it never touches the ground, and possesses symbolic fertility qualities.
Druid Stefan Allen, from the Mistletoe Foundation, revealed just what makes mistletoe so appropriate to smooch beneath.
"Traditionally mistletoe was considered to be the semen of the gods and of the forest, because the berries contain a liquid that looks like and has the texture of semen," he said.
"This is the real reason we kiss under it at Christmas, this and because mistletoe blooms in the dark womb of wintertime."
Huddled in a circle, the druids clasped bunches of mistletoe and performed a ritual asking for the plant to bring blessings to all the homes it was going to.
After the ceremony, an auction of mistletoe and its prickly Christmas bedfellow holly began at the town's Old Cattle Market, with bunches predicted to fetch up to 100 pounds (147 euros, 173 dollars).
Mistletoe expert Jonathan Briggs said it was boom-time for his favourite plant while the outlook for holly was "sad".
"This year is a very good year for mistletoe. We have got a large number of berries and they are very white," he said.
"Conversely, holly is looking pretty sad, with not so many berries on it at all, but we have large quantities of mistletoe and it's looking absolutely perfect."
Mistletoe received a further seal of approval after members of Britain's lower House of Commons proposed a motion backing the creation of an annual national Mistletoe Day, planned for December 1 each year.
