The Kissing Bough (Kissing Ball) A Tudor and Victorian Christmas Tradition. The kissing ball, or bough, comes to us from the Middle Ages. During this time, villagers would wind together twine and evergreen branches into a ramshackle ball shape.
First - what is a kissing ball, AKA pomander? It's a ball or sphere of flowers designed to look pretty and smell great! Pomanders were traditionally made with perfumes and used to lessen bad smells to ward off bad spirits.
During the Victorian era, the concept of the kissing ball or holy bough came back but in a different form. People would take a potato or apple and tie a pretty ribbon around it as a hanger. Then they would stick sprigs of evergreen, holly and sweet herbs into the potato or apple until it bristled with them.
The Victorians used actual mistletoe plants but modern day kissing balls. Instead of just sprigs of mistletoe, the branches, complete with berries where shaped into ball shapes and used as holiday decorations.
Kissing balls were hung from doorways and ceilings to encourage romance, and many young women would stand underneath them and hope for a kiss. Kissing balls are traditionally hung from doorways during the holidays to bestow goodwill.
Your kissing ball will remain fresh for several weeks if you mist it regularly with water. If it's kept outside in cooler weather, it'll remain green throughout the holidays. Hang it up or nestle it into a saucer or a bowl on your table.
Misting the vines and leaves, especially on the upper half of the Kissing Ball with water in between watering is also beneficial to keeping your plant looking good and preventing insect pests. 5.
In Britain, the idea of kissing under the mistletoe had arisen among servants in the 18th century, an echo of ancient rites. Then, folklore joined the party. A single girl not so kissed would remain unwed for another year. Mistletoe placed under her pillow would generate dreams of her future soulmate.
As part of the early custom, men were allowed to steal a kiss from any woman caught standing under the mistletoe, and refusing was viewed as bad luck. Yet another tradition instructed the merrymakers to pluck a single berry from the mistletoe with each kiss, and to stop smooching once they were all gone.
A young lady caught under the mistletoe could not refuse to give a kiss. This was supposed to increase her chances of marriage, since a girl who wasn't kissed could still be single next Christmas. According to ancient custom, after each kiss, one berry is removed until they are all gone.
Typically a ball began at 9 or 10pm and lasted until 5am the next morning or later and might end with a breakfast. Frances Bankes held a ball at Kingston Lacy in December 1791. The dancing began at 9pm; supper was at 1am; and the dancing continued until 7am when breakfast was served.
Sporting pastimes, such as cycling, rowing and horseracing were also popular, and large crowds would often attend sailing events like the Henley Regatta and famous horse races such as the Epsom Derby. One of the largest events of the Victorian calendar was the famous Great Exhibition, held in 1851.
The Countess of Warwick would wear this same costume two years later at what was, perhaps, the most famous fancy dress ball of the Victorian era—the 1897 fancy dress ball at Devonshire House.
The “kissing number problem” is a basic geo- metric problem that got its name from billiards: two balls “kiss” if they touch. The kissing number prob- lem asks how many blue balls can touch one given red ball at the same time if all the balls have the same size.
This tradition began in England during the Middle Ages, and was revived during the Victorian Era. This is where the fusion between mistletoe and the kissing ball evolved into the contemporary holiday decoration that fills the home with a bit of Christmas whimsy and a touch of romance.
Most people can't focus on anything as close as a face at kissing distance so closing your eyes saves them from looking at a distracting blur or the strain of trying to focus. Kissing can also make us feel vulnerable or self-conscious and closing your eyes is a way of making yourself more relaxed.
After every kiss a berry should be removed from the bush and once all of the berries have been taken the kissing must cease! Some cultures see a kiss under the mistletoe as a promise to marry so be careful out there boys and girls! A simple bit of festive fun could lead to a much greater commitment.
The word “mistletoe” comes from the Anglo-Saxon words “mistel” meaning dung or poop, and “tan” meaning twig or stick. The two words were eventually combined into today's “mistletoe” or, as the Anglo-Saxon's of old would call it, “poop stick”.
Puss means 'kiss' in Swedish. But it's a specific type of kiss: usually brief and with a closed mouth, equivalent to English 'peck'. It doesn't have to be romantic or sexual, and you'll hear people say it to their friends and family members as much as, if not more than, to their partners.
The mistletoe tradition holds that a man is allowed to kiss any woman standing beneath a sprig or bouquet of Mistletoe, and vice versa. If a kiss is refused, bad luck befalls the person who said “No.”
The Romantics perfected it. The Victorians dreamed about it--and then did it discreetly. They all kissed. Romantically.
The Kissing Bough (Kissing Ball) A Tudor and Victorian Christmas Tradition. The kissing ball, or bough, comes to us from the Middle Ages. During this time, villagers would wind together twine and evergreen branches into a ramshackle ball shape.
A soft, smooth, and slightly moist mouth is ideal for kissing. Before you move in, you should make sure your lips aren't chapped or dry so your partner isn't distracted or put off by the state of your lips.